History of the MEPD
The MEPD started off late in 2000, as a small
group of Sandtrooper costume owners hoping to become the official
Sandtrooper Detachment of the 501st Legion. That wish was fulfilled
early on in 2001.
The fledgling EZboard based group was not too different from how it is today, with talk of pouches, weathering, and BFGs. The small group died off as troopers came and went, and the board traffic disappeared after about a year. Early in 2002 the group experienced resurgence thanks to some fresh Sandtroopers wanting to carry the group on. After almost two years based on a Yahoo group board, the membership had grown considerably. The group moved to the current message boards in 2004 thanks to then Detachment Leader, Joe Musso. Between 2006 and 2007, Seth Busino lead the Department and continued to update all Legion and Deployed Officer Standards. He also helped to develop and offer accurate Pauldrons and together with then XO, Mike Harrison, laid the foundation for todays most accurate Back Pack offerings. In 2008, Mike Harrison took over as CO, with Paul Hoeffer as his Executive Officer.
Forum conversations have remained fairly similar, though we enjoy to discuss many topics of interest. Armor, blasters, backpacks, pauldrons, pouches, dirt are still at the core of the discussion. Since its inception, the MEPD has set a high standard for Sandtroopers in the 501st Legion. In that time, the Sandtrooper has gone from an almost forgettable character, often thought of as a “Stormtrooper with accessories”, to an increasingly popular, sought after costume. There is no doubt the MEPD has played an important role in that transformation.
Today we stand in a great place; the years of research and dedication by the Sandtroopers here at the Mos Eisley Police Department have forged improvements in every aspect of this costuming hobby. We hope you can join us soon! |
