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I'm going to show my age here but I was introduced to SW's in the 90s when it was re-released in theaters. Ever since seeing ANH for the first time, I have always loved the sandtrooper. It took me quite a while to finally join but in 2015 I made my initial purchase and was added to the 501st in December 2015. A few years later, I was asked to join the command staff and I've been involved ever since. I have added a Jawa to my costume inventory because even though my sandtrooper is my absolute favorite and passion, I can't wear it at all day troops anymore and sometimes its simply easier to be more mobile as I am too short and not in shape enough to sit down etc. in armor. A couple years ago I was reached out to by a recruit in my garrison. I have helped him every step of the way and continue to motivate him to submit his PO application and he's nearly there. Life sometimes gets in the way. I'm hoping this 2023 term brings life back into MEPD. We're all very motivated and have some great things in the pipeline. I am also hoping to get people motivated by running the Trooper Incentive Program. Get sandies to share their troops and post their troop logs.

Hey There brothers! Long time... (Hope this post doesn't kill the thread as it has happened to me several times) I have not been in the forums for several months. Even then, I don't remember having posted any time recently. And yet, when and if I come to take a look, read a bit or simple get some memories and smile, I do notice the lack of activity, posting... life. In the last months of Mike Harrison period as DL, and during the first few months of Noel aka Bluey, we went through something like this. Some of the more veterans will remember it no doubt. To put it simple, the MEPD was dead. At the time, it was a completely different experience being a Sandtrooper. An Underrated character, with no action figure yet. Only a few Sandtrooper lovers had developed a basic kit for all TD gear. Crashmann had the basic pack kit available, there were a few proto-pauldrons made (before Jay revolutionized how it was done), no baptys, no sonix radios... It was a dark time. A few troopers, mainly Rolf and Noel, kept posting nonstop. Always bringing new info, references, ideas, anecdotes or just good vibe. Slowly, people started to join the party and more content was posted. I myself got all excited at the time... Then what I call the era of discovery came. When we all as a community joined forces and time to research, dig up and find new information and most importantly, found parts. From the Shires Syphon, to the correct Tupperware pitcher lid, to the Gyostyle canteen for the pack. Every day was exciting, spending hours on ebay, antique stores, flea markets and just on google. Trying to find the correct parts, and correctly identifying the pouches. *BTW, I just saw a thread and understood how different this moment is to that, when a Spanish pouch can go up to 60 USD. I got mine for 6. Low demand meant low price, I guess. And that is what brought more and more people to the forum at the time. Then... new and more accurate armor. After the so called Armor Wars, back in the day, armor options were rare and "exclusive". Then, it suddenly was possible for anybody to get an accurate kit. And even better, later on, the holy grail of armor. RS Armor appeared. I do remember that day... I was so excited that I did not sleep reading and rereading all and every single post published originally by Simon (I think I remember his forum name at the RPF was Siman or something similar). We researched every single detail, from bronce snaps, to shoe brands, from latex and foam handguards, to color scheme for the backpacks. From Boy scouts backpack frames to WWII Machine guns!! And more! Anyway... years went by as this community discovered pretty much all and every part (almost). Then came the first few Sonix Victory 75 Radios. And also the northstar one. That was magic! Then came the replicas, the kits, the mockups and... the readily availble off the shelf Sandtrooper kit and experience. And... for what the MEPD meant to me, that was it. At least the end of an era. At the same time, under Bluey's command, the CRL was upgraded (and then the rest of the Detachments followed). Years later, with all the discoveries, under DirtyBoy's command, the SWAT program was developed and then came the Level 3 for us and all detachments, again. New movies, new characters, new times... For me and a few others, it was time to step down, step back and get a few quiet years. I was personally tired of being here 24/7 first posting exciting new news, then moderating the super busy threads, and finally replying the same answers for the same questions day after day. I loved this place. I still love it. It is the center of my SW and 501st experience... even more (from a certain point of view) than the movies themselves. I was just tired. So... after all this years watching from the sidelines, Im happy to see this still going on. Sad that it is so slow... but hey, we are still here. So for the unsolicited advice. Keep the news, ideas, references and anecdotes coming. Not just replying to the same questions. We do need moderators, but most of all, a forum needs content creators. That will attract people. And the right content, will no doubt attract the right people. Then, you will call that people not only friends, but brothers! We are Sandtroopers. And we are brothers. Happy to be here. Hope to come back soon. And to all of you still here, veteran or newbie, thank you. Saludos Juan PS. Man! Typing this brought some good memories and a smile to my face!