By: Tristan Moriuchi (TK-9285)

On Saturday night, July 26th, the Robot Chicken on Wheels Tour kicked off in San Diego, CA to promote theirRobot Chicken: Star Wars Episode 2 DVD. Accompanying the local Southern California Garrison and theSunrider Base were members of the Dune Sea Garrison and Mos Eisley Base for a night of pictures and fun. In attendance were Matt Senreich, Seth Green, and Tom Root, who had the honor of being inducted as Honorary Members into the Rebel Legion, the sister organization of the 501st. Matt and Seth are co-creators of Robot Chicken, and Tom is a writer, producer, director, and voice actor on the show. Also present were thousands of fans including roller derby teams and several convention attendees. Along with handing out Sideshow Collectibles gift cards, members posed for pictures and even started up a group dance party outside of the skate area. Both 501st and Rebel Legion members had a blast with fans of Robot Chicken Star Wars!This event took place after the Fox 5 news interview on Thursday with Seth Green and Matt Senreich where DSG members were also present. Fox 5 aired the interview the next day showing members hanging out with the Robot Chicken creators at a drive in.

During the tour event, fans took great pictures with Rebels and Imperials alike to promote the new DVD that is now on sale. It was truly a pleasure for the Arizona groups to work with such great members from California so far from home. Sunrider and Southern California Garrison did an amazing job of making this an awesome event; thank you guys for all of your support and allowing the DSG and MEB to tag along!

By: Tristan Moriuchi (TK-9285)

Thursday and Friday, July 23rd and 24th, marked a first in Dune Sea Garrison history. Fox 5 of San Diego, CA invited the 501st Legion to attend their interview with Seth Green and Matt Senreich. Not only was the taping a success, but the staff was so impressed that they invited the crew back to serve doughnuts, write scripts, and provide an overall Star Wars newscast. Conveniently, Friday was Star Wars day at the San Diego Comic-con when troopers were shown all through the morning.

Clips were shown throughout the show between lie casts at the convention and daily news reports. The morning started off with a biker scout writing for the show, which his co-writer was rather shocked at. This was followed by a couple of troopers serving doughnuts to the staff including Arthel Neville. Meanwhile, off camera the team got to converse with editors, cameramen, and anchors. The entire staff was a huge pleasure to work with; everyone was professional and very courteous. On screen, Vader had a lot of work including zapping crew members and guiding cameras using his very persuasive powers. Before the end of the morning the team also had the pleasure of talking to Tom Kane, the voice of Yoda in the current Star Wars: The Clone Wars series. He showed off a number of his voices and cracked some jokes with 501st members as the Jedi Master…although as a matter of Imperial Security he was under strict watch.

The group who participated from the DSG owes a huge thanks to the Southern California Garrison and the Fox 5 morning team. We all especially appreciated Raoul Martinez for whistling the Imperial March all morning; his enthusiasm was above and beyond. The Fox team was more than generous by providing breakfast and giving the DSG a full tour along with writing up fun activities. Overall it was a terrific experience!

By: Tristan Moriuchi (TK-9285)

The students at the University of Advancing Technology warmed up pretty quickly to the combined forces of the local Mos Eisley Base and Dune Sea Garrison arriving at their Summertime Charity Fundraiser. The school’s Star Wars Alliance Club hosted a week’s worth of fundraising events to support the MMC Children’s Center through Child’s Play. This organization provides children in hospitals with video games that kids can check out from the hospital to enjoy during their stay. As passionate technology students and community members, the Star Wars Alliance Club participated in a number of charitable activities throughout the week including a lunch, raffle, and blood drive. One of the final events of the week was on Friday July 17^th, featuring pictures with Star Wars characters from both the Light and Dark side.

Students and characters alike took pictures in front of a green screen to be edited later to include Star Wars themed backgrounds. Some included action scenes while others were just for fun. After the pictures, students were able to chat one on one with the costumers about their hobby and learn about a new way to expand on their Star Wars enthusiasm. Hopefully we will be seeing a number of new recruits coming from UAT shortly! As the night continued, the raffle winners were decided (one of the prizes included was a Light saber Master FX construction kit), and the winners of the art contest were revealed. Also, some members participated in a Nerf War resulting in a Rebel vs. Imperial battle on the UAT campus including foam darts and a lot of laughs. Some members were inclined to stay out of the dart action after having experienced enough similar action at Trooper Training Camp earlier this year at Phoenix Cactus Comicon.

Thank you to the Star Wars Alliance Club crew for inviting us to this terrific event! From R2 to Darth Vader, we’re looking forward to dropping by again and it was a terrific time at the University. Keep up the good work and supporting the community, thanks again! For more information about Child’s Play, please visit their website at http://www.childsplaycharity.org.

By: Tristan Moriuchi (TK-9285)

This year the Dune Sea Garrison participated in Flagstaff’s annual Fourth of July Parade. This being the second year that the DSG has participated in the parade, Vader’s Fist showed up in full force and was even graced by the Sith Lord himself. With over 20 costumed individuals participating, this year’s numbers almost tripled! We also had some cool new equipment blasting Star Wars music as the Troops marched. Three troopers marched with the American flag throughout the parade, while other Troops adorned themselves with miniature flags and coiled garland. While unable to stop marching for pictures, many troopers enjoyed giving high fives, shaking hands, and saluting patriots.

A large number of Troopers even made the trek up from the Jundland Wastes Squad in Tucson to beat the heat and enjoy the fresh air up North! In addition to those road-trippers, there were several troopers from the Phoenix area, resulting in the largest showing of 501st members in Flagstaff yet! Local troops showed a huge amount of support by hosting visiting members in their homes as well as providing a great debrief BBQ after the march. This allowed the departing troopers to leave with full stomachs and fond memories to carry them home. Big thanks go out to all of the Troops that participated from all over the state; thanks to you this event was a terrific success.

With growing interest in the pines, it is the local group’s goal that events like this and the Children’s Miracle Network fundraiser will increase the member base, along with opening up further opportunities to troop in the cooler climate. Congratulations troopers on yet another successful event!

To see more about the parade, visit the AZ Daily Sun website!