Website: Duneseagarrison.com
Regions: Arizona
Garrison Creation Date: 2001
Active members: 47

Logo: "Our logo features the Arizona state flag appearing behind the center piece of an Imperial Cog with the cog being tan in color to represent our desert home," Public Relations Officer Jennifer LaFortune (SL-7047) says. "The state's flag was particularly appropriate, as the images and colors evoke the theme of one of our spectacular desert sunsets, with the copper star as the central focus point. Recently we decided to update the logo with a more military appearance by adding more desert colors and text so that other units within the Legion, as well as the general public, could better identify which Garrison we were. We are all very proud of how the optimized logo turned out."

Events: "Our main and most frequent mission is visiting the local hospitals with wagons full of toys for the children," LaFortune says. "This local charity organizes a series of toy closets in as many hospitals as they can: Andrea's Closet. We also associate with ChildHelp U.S.A. to visit these hospitals four to five times a year: Phoenix Children's Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital and Tucson UMC Hospital.

"Each of us has our own set of special experiences that we take from these visits, but some deserve a special mention," LaFortune adds. "Garrison CO Neil Hetzel, on his first visit donning Lord Vader's regalia, made the acquaintance of a little boy who began chattering about various things, some intelligible, some not. When the nurses took the little boy away, Neil noticed that all the nurses were crying. The boy's illness had apparently caused him to retreat into his shell some weeks before, and he hadn't spoken a word to anyone, until Darth Vader had come to see him."

Charities: "A particular favorite of the Garrison is the Multiple Sclerosis Society's "Walk on the Wild Side" MS Walk. "Every spring, the Garrison gears up and heads out at dawn to walk the five mile trail up, around, and through the Phoenix Zoo and Phoenix Botanical Gardens," LaFortune says. "Though most of the country is still temperate in spring, the desert has already begun to heat up, so the Walk is a physically and mentally grueling task when done in stormtrooper or bounty hunter armor, not to mention 50 pounds of Darth Vader armor and cloaks."

Interesting Facts: "Author Karen Traviss, who is widely recognized in the Star Wars world as the expert on all things Mandalorian, has developed a special affinity for the DSG," LaFortune says. "XO Lance Dworshak spearheaded the creation of an entire clan of Mandalorians which we debuted just weeks before Celebration IV, at a local convention which featured Traviss as a guest of honor. Her reaction when she saw her fictional creations come to life? 'You've got it, dead on.' The Mandos went on to take Celebration IV by storm, enjoying wide acclaim for the fine detail and the hand-hammered armor pieces, and delighting later in the fact that Traviss and actor Jeremy Bulloch went home and posted pictures of the clan on their respective websites."

"We have adopted a Mandalorian proverb as our rallying cry, as it perfectly encompasses the lifetime bonds that characterize our Garrison," LaFortune adds. "Aliit ori'shya taldin -- 'Family is more than blood.'"

To Join This Outpost: Go to "Find Troops Near You" search function on the home page of 501st.com. Fans can also visit Duneseagarrison.com and contact the local officers to find out how to get involved. "Fans should know that, beyond the Star Wars connection, the only other real thing that any of us has in common is the willingness and desire to take time out of work and family and life and build costumes that allow us to visit sick children in hospitals," LaFortune explains. "We come from every walk of life and every possible background, and are bound as brothers by the charity work that we are fortunate enough to do."