First Order Army

The First Order Army was the ground-based branch of the First Order military. In addition to maintaining order throughout First Order space, the First Order Army spearheaded the conquest and colonization of the Unknown Regions. In order to quickly and efficiently raise a capable army, the First Order abandoned the conscription practices of the Galactic Empire, and instead kidnapped and indoctrinated infants throughout the galaxy. The Unknown Regions provided a haven for the hermit state to effectively train and mobilize these child soldiers into an army of fierce stormtroopers with a zealous loyalty to the Supreme Leader.
The First Order's rearmament policy violated the terms of the Galactic Concordance, which saw the Imperial Military dismantled in the aftermath of the Galactic Civil War, but continued nonetheless as the New Republic sought to avoid the escalation of the Cold War into open warfare. With the Galactic Senate unwilling to risk another armed galactic conflict, Senator Leia Organa formed the Resistance to oppose the First Order's rise to power. The First Order Army discarded the facade of a defense force in the wake of the New Republic's destruction through the Hosnian Cataclysm in 34 ABY, and embarked on a campaign to conquer the galaxy which was initially overseen by Supreme Leader Snoke. However, command of the First Order Army was usurped by Kylo Ren, the Supreme Leader's dark apprentice, who assassinated his master during the Battle of Oetchi. By using the Force to coerce General Armitage Hux, Ren secured the Army under his control as the new Supreme Leader of the First Order.
In addition to Ren, the First Order Army served under the command of Allegiant General Enric Pryde, whose title gave him authority over both the Army and the First Order Navy. Under the leadership of Ren, much of the galaxy was conquered by the forces of the First Order. However, the First Order lacked the resources to subjugate the remaining holdouts until the discovery of the Sith Eternal cult's secret army of Sith troopers as well as a vast armada on the planet Exegol. Ren planned to supplement his forces with that of the Sith cultists in order to gain full control over the galaxy, thereby transforming the First Order into a true empire. Following the Battle of Exegol, however, the Sith Eternal military was in ruins and the galaxy rose in open rebellion against the First Order.
==History==
===Origins===
Following the defeat of the Galactic Empire at the Battle of Jakku and its surrender with the signing of the Galactic Concordance, the First Order and its military eventually formed in the Unknown Regions where it plotted its eventual return to power. The First Order Army was descended from the Imperial Army, which served as the ground forces of the "Old Empire." The Army was responsible for enforcing order throughout First Order space and the colonization of the Unknown Regions.
The First Order utilized propaganda to indoctrinate its forces from a young age, causing them to become fiercely loyal to the First Order and their Supreme Leader.Star Wars Battlefront II General Armitage Hux considered his soldiers well trained and reliable because they had been programmed since birth.
===Cold War===
During the Cold War, the stormtroopers of the First Order Army saw action against the Resistance in various locations and operations including a failed operation on Ovanis in an attempt to find Lor San Tekka, an explorer who had part of the map to Skywalker, a holographic star map that led to the missing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.Poe Dameron 1 First Order soldiers fought Resistance pilots on Spalex after the pilots found them harassing the natives.Poe Dameron 17 Stormtroopers also quelled the strike at Pressy's Tumble.
The First Order Army also saw action against other enemies such as the Benathy. During the Benathy expansion in Wild Space a massive First Order ground force of stormtroopers and All Terrain Armored Transports led by First Order Warlord Kylo Ren was deployed to the Benathy homeworld of Benath to bring an end to their expansion. Following a decisive battle, the Benathy's "god," a Zillo Beast, was defeated by the First Order and the Benathy kingdom submitted to the Order.Age of Resistance - Kylo Ren 1
On another occasion, Kylo Ren led the First Order Army during a massacre on the planet Tehar. The sole survivors were Kel and Eila, who fled to the Colossus space station on the planet Castilon. There, they met Resistance spy Kazuda Xiono, who alerted the Resistance leadership about the activities of the First Order Army and Ren.
In 34 ABY,Star Wars: Galactic Atlas First Order stormtroopers were deployed during the attack on Tuanul in an attempt to secure the map that led to Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. The First Order Army was led by General Armitage Hux, who also commanded Starkiller Base. Substantial First Order army forces including walkers were stationed on the snowy planet, which doubled as a superweapon. The First Order Army and other branches including the First Order Navy were involved in the construction of the massive superweapon.
===War with the Resistance===
The First Order orchestrated a pirate kidnapping of Colossus resident Torra Doza, which they believed justified leaving a small security detail of stormtroopers to occupy the Colossus, though the force's number substantially grew over time.
Not long after the occupation began, the First Order used Starkiller Base to destroy the Hosnian system, including the New Republic capital of Hosnian Prime.Bloodline In the aftermath, Colossus resistance forces led by Xiono and former Rebel pilot Jarek Yeager expelled the First Order occupation forces and took the Colossus into uncharted space. In the wake of Hosnian Prime's destruction, First Order stormtroopers also saw action against the Resistance during the Battle of Takodana in a failed attempt to capture the Resistance astromech droid BB-8, who was carrying the map to Luke Skywalker. The First Order military sustained many casualties during the Battle of Starkiller Base, where their superweapon would ultimately be destroyed by the Resistance, including numerous stormtrooper losses. As the First Order moved to conquer the galaxy and crush the Resistance, it had ten thousand battle-ready troops at its disposal.
The First Order Navy led by their flagship the Supremacy chased down the Resistance fleet using hyperspace tracking from their base in the Ileenium system to the Oetchi system. First Order stormtroopers caught Resistance agents Rose Tico and Finn attempting to disable the tracker. Tico and Finn were about to be executed in the hanger when the Resistance flagship the Raddus rammed into the First Order fleet. A battle ensued in the fiery hanger which led to the death of the stormtroopers' leader, Captain Phasma. Also on the Supremacy Kylo Ren seized control of the First Order Army from General Hux, shortly after assassinating Supreme Leader Snoke. Hux protested Ren's actions at first, upset that Ren thought he could command Hux's Army, to which Ren utilized the Force choke ability against him, coercing the General's allegiance to the First Order Army's new Supreme Leader. Ren's rise to power would leave Hux isolated and deprived of much of the influence he gained during Snoke's rule. During his reign, Ren promoted the career of Allegiant General Enric Pryde, granting the former Imperial officer the power to command both the First Order Army and Navy.
The remaining Resistance forces retreated to the planet Crait where they would seek refuge in an abandoned rebel base. In the following Battle of Crait, significant First Order ground forces including stormtroopers, snowtroopers, AT-ATs, AT-STs, All Terrain MegaCaliber Six walkers, All Terrain Heavy Haulers, and a Superlaser siege cannon all assaulted the Resistance outpost on Crait. The Resistance stood no chance and sustained heavy casualties, but the last survivors escaped due to the appearance of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, who was secretly just a Force projection. His former master's appearance distracted Supreme Leader Ren and bought enough time for the Resistance to escape, though the battle would still end in the death of Luke Skywalker. A large group of stormtroopers led by Ren entered the Resistance base, but it was too late, and the surviving Resistance fighters jumped to hyperspace on their ship, the Millennium Falcon.
Despite the Resistance's escape from Crait, the First Order conquered a large amount of territory throughout the galaxy, becoming an Empire in all but name. However, the First Order lacked the resources of its predecessor, the Galactic Empire, leaving a number of free worlds unconquered by 35 ABY.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary dates the events of Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker as taking place one year after the "Starkiller Incident." As Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates the Starkiller Incident to 34 ABY, it can be deduced the events of Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker take place in 35 ABY. This changed when Ren discovered the hidden Sith world of Exegol, where the Sith Eternal had cultivated an army of elite Sith troopers as well as a fleet of planet-killer Star Destroyers. Ren estimated that the Sith cult's forces in addition to his remaining forces in the First Order would grant him the ability to rule the First Order as a genuine empire.
Ren simultaneously focused on his goal to turn Jedi Padawan Rey to the dark side of the Force, having learned of her lineage as the grandchild of Sith Lord Darth Sidious. After tracking Rey and her Resistance allies to the planet Pasaana, Ren deployed a contingent of the First Order's ground forces including jet troopers, stormtroopers, and treadspeeder bikes along with the Knights of Ren to capture her. Jet troopers riding treadspeeders pursued Rey and her comrades Poe Dameron, Finn, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and BB-8 through the desert, sustaining casualties.
The First Order-Resistance War ended in the First Order's defeat. The Sith Eternal's forces were destroyed by the Resistance and the Citizens' Fleet in the Battle of Exegol, after which the First Order's remaining forces were attacked on various worlds in a pan-galactic uprising against the First Order.
==Groups==
The First Order Army was divided into different units such as corps, legions,Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire divisions, battalions, companies, garrisons, and squads. The FN Corps was trained by Captain Phasma and were considered to be the best of their class.Before the Awakening The 709th Legion was Supreme Leader Kylo Ren's personnel unit and was deployed to Batuu during the First Order-Resistance War.Galaxy's Edge 1 Company 77 was a company of stormtroopers that deserted during the Battle of Ansett Island. Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma both commanded their own divisions during the Cold War and First Order-Resistance War. Garrisons in the army included the Colossus garrison and the Kijimi garrison. The 105th Battalion was a unit of Sith troopers under the command of Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren. Squads in the army included CS-Squad and Wulfgar Kath's squad.
==Organization==
===Stormtroopers===
====Overview====
The First Order army was largely composed of stormtroopers; inspired by the memory of the Galactic Empire's stormtroopers as well as the clone troopers that served the Galactic Republic, First Order stormtroopers represented the latest generation in the history of white armored soldiers in the days of the New Republic Era. The First Order trained its troops from birth, using combat simulations and live-fire exercises to encourage battlefield improvisation, whereas the Empire's standard routine produced soldiers that were considered less dangerous than their First Order descendants.
====Variants====
In addition to the basic infantry unit, the First Order army fielded various types of stormtroopers such as snowtroopers who wore specialized armor for icy climates, SCUBA troopers who were equipped with specialized armor for underwater patrols, megablaster heavy assault troopers who wielded heavy ordinance weapons, flametroopers who wielded flamethrowers, riot control stormtroopers who were assigned to keep order on First Order worlds, rocket troopers who served as aerial infantry, executioner troopers who carried out executions of traitors,Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary and First Order stormtrooper gunners.Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Incredible Cross-Sections The First Order Army had at least one battalion of Sith troopers and Sith Jetpack Troopers at its disposal, the 105th Battalion.
====Commando units====
The Army utilized specialized stormtroopers for special operations. First Order Raiders were highly skilled hunters tasked with requiring Sith artifacts for Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. The First Order Special Forces had a variant of stormtrooper that drove elite speeder bikes for high-risk missions.
===Other positions===
Other positions in the army included First Order officers and the subset of vehicle commanders, First Order Walker Drivers, engineers, and gunners.Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Incredible Cross-Sections
===Rank structure===
Both infantry and armored units were commanded by trained officers. Stormtroopers used pauldrons to signify their rank. Squad leaders wore white pauldrons, sergeants wore black, and officers wore red. The trooper Pyre held the rank of commander and had co-command over a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer, the Thunderer.Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy The Allegiant General commanded both the army and navy of the First Order.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary
==Vehicles and machinery==
===Walkers===
The First Order Army utilized a wide variety of walkers to achieve battlefield domination. Walkers in the army included the All Terrain MegaCaliber Six, a half siege and half psychological weapon due to its terrifying appearance and its MegaCaliber Six turbolaser cannon which could end sieges in an instant,Star Wars Complete Vehicles, New Edition the First Order All Terrain Armored Transport, the All Terrain Heavy Hauler, the All Terrain Mobile Artillery, the First Order All Terrain Scout Transport, the All Terrain Patrol Droid,Star Wars: On the Front Lines the All Terrain Heavy Scout, the mobile assault walker, All Terrain Reconnaissance Transports, the spider walker,Join th Resistance: Escape from Vodran and the Urban Assault Triped Transport.
===Speeder bikes===
As well as legged walkers, the First Order used repulsorcraft technology and even treaded vehicles. Speeders used by the Army included the elite speeder bike used by the First Order Special Forces, the 125-Z treadspeeder bike, which had better traction on unstable terrain, the Light Infantry Utility Vehicle, BARC speeders, a speeder bike driven by Agent Terex on at least one occasion, and a transport speeder used by flametroopers.Poe Dameron 2
===Artillery===
The Army was equipped with a superlaser siege cannon that served as an artillery piece. The cannon was towed by All Terrain Heavy Haulers. The AT-MA was a mobile artillery pieceStar Wars: Rogue One: AT-ACT Deluxe Book and 3D Wood Model stationed on Starkiller Base and Star Destroyers.
==Weapons and equipment==
The standard issue weapon of the First Order's stormtroopers was the F-11D blaster rifle. Stormtroopers also used the DLT-19D heavy blaster rifle.Galaxy's Edge 4 First Order officers and stormtroopers used the SE-44C blaster pistol, though First Order officers also commonly wielded the RK-3 blaster.
The Army's stormtroopers made use of several heavy ordinance weapons including the FWMB-10 repeating blaster and its variant the FWMB-10K, the F-Z0 antipersonnel blaster cannon which was mounted on transporters, the smart rocket and G125 projectile launchers used by jet troopers, and the D-93 Incinerator flamethrower used by flametroopers. 
The Army was also equipped with melee weapons, which included the Z6 riot control baton, electroprod, the BL-155 Laser ax, the electrostaff, the riot shield, and the vibro-knife.Poe Dameron 7 Equipment deployed by the Army incorporated quadnoculars, jump packs,Poe Dameron 1 NJP-900 integrated jetpack, pauldrons, and thermal detonators.Star Wars: The Force Awakens novelization
==Behind the scenes==
According to Hiroyuki Imaishi, director of the Star Wars: Visions short "THE TWINS," the Galactic Empire seen in the short was established by remnants of the First Order Army, erroneously described as the "Imperial Army," after the events of the Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker.
==Appearances==
===Non-canon appearances===
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==Sources==
==Notes and references==