Desert stormtrooper Desert stormtroopers , also referred to as sandtroopers , were Imperial stormtroopers equipped with modified armor and equipment to withstand the harsh climates of desert planets like Tatooine . Equipment . They were nearly identical to standard stormtroopers , but had additional training in specialized areas and advanced cooling systems in both their helmets and suits that offered them protection from the relentless heat . They also were designed specifically to take into account elements in desert worlds that can clog breathing filters and jam machinery , such as sandstorms , ash storms , or other particles . Visual differences in armor included a distinctive diamond - shaped left knee plate , non - ribbed chest and back plate connectors as well as reinforced abdominal plating . It was typical for non - commissioned officers ( white and orange pauldrons ) and above to remove the “ drop boxes ” on the waist ; a redundant and unnecessary accessory given the upgraded load - bearing kit requirements for sustained operations with minimal resupply . Additionally , the usual thermal detonator worn by normal Stormtroopers on the lower back was not present , as its wear and access would be impeded by the typical SD - 48 survival backpack . The SD - 48s were necessary for them to complete extended missions in unrelenting heat , and contains several liters of purified water , a miniaturized vaporator for condensing water from the atmosphere , a long - range comlink , and a collapsible reflective shelter . Their armor consisted of an 18 - piece anti - blaster cocoon shell like that of a stormtrooper , but also had a heat - reflective coating worn over a temperature - control body glove , as well as cooling recirculators . The sandtrooper helmet featured automatic polarized lenses , a built - in comlink , and breathing filters . The purpose behind the polarized lenses was to eliminate dune glare . All desert sandtroopers carried E - 11 blaster rifles , DLT - 19 heavy blaster rifles , T - 21 light repeating blasters , or RT - 97C heavy blaster rifles , long - range comlinks , food , and water packs . Sandtroopers wore colored pauldrons as a designation of rank . A sandtrooper sergeant ' s pauldron was white , while an enlisted trooper ' s pauldron was all black . Squad leaders , who led units of seven troopers , wore orange shoulder pauldrons . History . The stormtrooper detachment dispatched in 0 BBY to investigate a crashed escape pod on Tatooine just prior to the Battle of Yavin consisted of sandtroopers . One of them noticed a droid part and concluded that there were droids aboard the escape pod . They eventually encountered Luke Skywalker , Han Solo , and Obi - Wan Kenobi and attempted to stop the departure of the " Millennium Falcon " , although they ultimately failed . Skywalker , when reading up on the sandtroopers upon procuring a copy of the Imperial Military ' s field manual " " , admitted that he was surprised that the sandtroopers were not bothered at all by the heat on Tatooine , as he expected they would not know enough about the planet to handle it . Solo , likewise , joked that they need to have an " anti - boredom trooper " for places like Tatooine due to boredom being what kills a person rather than the heat itself . They had heavy weapons , survival gear , and shoulder pauldrons denoting rank . Sandtroopers , along with representatives from every specialized Stormtrooper Corps , were assigned to Darth Vader ' s personal Death Squadron . In 8 ABY a contingent of sandtroopers were deployed from the " Chimaera " to capture the moss painting , " Killik Twilight " .