Regiment

A regiment was a ground military unit, normally consisting of a number of battalions.

Galactic Republic[]

In the Grand Army of the Republic a regiment consisted of four battalions, for a total of 2,648 clone troopers plus officers and support personnel. It was led by a Jedi Commander (usually the Padawan of the Jedi General commanding a parent unit) and a Clone Commander, also known as a clone regimental commander. Four of these regiments formed a Legion.^[1] However, the Republic also operated regiments of 1000 troopers.

Confederacy of Independent Systems[]

In the Separatist Droid Army, regiments were composed of four battalions of 784 droids and a single vanguard of 1,232 droids, for a total of 4,368 battle droids and support droids, and 114 repulsortanks. They were led by an OOM command battle droid.

Vanguards were a sub-regimental formation designed to break through heavy defenses, and were composed of 1,232 battle droids and support droids in eleven Multi-Troop Transport companies and one squadron of 18 Armored Assault Tanks.

Regiments were the total number of troops and vehicles carried aboard one C-9979 landing craft.^[2]

Galactic Empire[]

Imperial Army[]

In the Imperial Army a regiment was a combined-armed led containing approximately 2,500 combat troops and 1,000 support personnel. It was commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel with a command staff the same as a battalion's, with five staff officers of Captain rank and accompanying support personnel, however it generally contained more droids upwards of 200. Regimental HQs also had a large repair workshop and some were equipped with nanomanufacturing capabilities that allowed them to take very basic components and produce spare parts.^[3] The workshops were included in regimental headquarters because the size and strength of the regiment, being formidable enough to ensuring the capture and long-term occupation of a planetary territorial region, required extensive resupply and support^[4]

Usually the regimental HQ was stationed in orbit aboard a vessel, although if orbital command was disrupted it could quickly be dropped onto the planet's surface. Only when the regiment was expected to be engaged in long-term operations (over a month) and there was no guarantee of supporting naval presence was the HQ deployed along with their troops. A regiment could also be augmented per their Order of Battle, in which case the additional units were commanded by the regiment's second-in-command.^[3]

The Alliance to Restore the Republic General Carlist Rieekan, when looking through the official field manual for the Imperial Military, Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide, acknowledged reluctantly that on most worlds, the Rebel Alliance lacks the troop strength to engage in open conflict at the regimental level.^[4]

Line Regiment[]

Main article: Line regiment

A line regiment contained two line battalions, one assault battalion and one repulsorlift battalion. They were usually stationed on worlds with none or a low threat level. However, by combining assault and repulsorlift battalions, a line regiment could deploy a fast response to an attack without using its whole strength. Together there were 2,558 troops, 972 support personnel and 130 repulsorlift vehicles. Fully augmented line regiments had a second assault battalion, a third line battalion, an artillery battalion and a second repuslorlift battalion.^[3]

Assault Regiment[]

Main article: Assault regiment

Assault regiments were pure combat units. Their job was to attack and conquer an identified rebel stronghold or area. Once the battle was over, a line regiment would replace the assault regiment. Two assault, one line and one heavy armor battalion made up an assault regiment for a total of 2,545 troops, 1,001 support personnel, 121 repulsorlift vehicles and 53 heavy tanks. At full strength it also contained a special missions battalion, a second line battalion, a third assault battalion and an artillery battalion.^[3]

Repulsorlift Regiment[]

Main article: Repulsorlift regiment

Repuslorlift regiments were deployed across large areas with light and scattered resistance where there was a need for quick response. Three repulsorlift and one armor battalion made up a repulsorlift regiment and its HQ, which was completely mobile, would be deployed along with the rest of the regiment more frequently than with other regiment types. This was not out of some need but by Imperial commanders using the HQ to tempt rebels into attacking it and leading them into a trap. Depending on the size of the armor battalion (heavy or light), the strength of a repulsorlift regiment was 2,641 or 2,735 troops, around 1,305 support personnel, 53 or 93 tanks, 400 repulsorlift vehicles and 120 speeder bikes. Augmented regiments could essentially double in size with three more repulsorlift and a second armored battalion.^[3]

Artillery Regiment[]

Main article: Artillery regiment

An artillery regiment consisted of three artillery battalions, one assault battalion and a scout company. During the formation of the Imperial Army, artillery had been given the least priority of the combat arms, with the common thinking that artillery would play no significant role on modern battlefields. The Rebellion, however, proved them wrong and attempts were made to quickly revitalize this force. Officially an artillery regiment would be attached to a battlegroup and operate as a single unit. However due to some complaints by junior officers on occasion smaller artillery units were assigned at the regimental or battalion level, such as an artillery battery being attached to a line battalion, although this was not reflected in the OB. When operating together there were 2,425 troopers, 1,095 support personnel, 144 medium/heavy or 288 light tubes, 53 tanks and 199 repulsorcraft in the regiment, and it could be augmented with a repulsorlift battalion and three more artillery battalions.^[3]

Armor Regiment[]

Main article: Armor regiment

Armor regiments had the most firepower of all regiments but lacked the numbers in infantry for any garrison duty. Because of this, armor regiments were never deployed alone and operated only as part of Battlegroup formations. There were two kinds of armor regiments, 'line' and 'vanguard'.^[3]

One well-known regiment was the 112th Repulsorlift Armor Regiment commonly known as Hell's Hammers. The Regiment fought at the Battle of Turak IV, Subjugation of Absit and the Assault on Protazk. It used the S-1 FireHawke Heavy Repulsortank and the 1-H Imperial-class repulsortank.^[5]

Vanguard Armor Regiment[]

Main article: Vanguard armor regiment

A vanguard regiment was composed of three armor battalions and one repulsorlift battalion. Together there were 2,483 troopers, 1,559 support personnel, 262 repulsor vehicles and several tanks. Augmented regiments had four additional armor battalions.^[3]

Line Armor Regiment[]

Main article: Armor regiment

A line armor regiment had two heavy armor battalions and two repulsorlift battalions, giving it more repulsorlift vehicles but also more firepower thanks to the heavy tanks. In total there were 2,562 troops, 1,432 support personnel, 304 repulsorlift vehicles and 106 heavy tanks. It was expanded with a third repulsorlift battalion, an assault battalion and two additional armor battalions.^[3]

COMPNOR Regiment (CompForce)[]

Main article: COMPNOR Regiment

CompForce regiments (composed of fanatical but ill-trained COMPNOR troops) had the same basic structure as an army line regiment, but without the security platoons or augmentation plan. Their fanaticism and loyalty to the cause was deemed reason enough to dispense with these platoons as unnecessary, which was yet another of the many reasons the regular army disliked CompForce.^[3]

Stormtroopers[]

The Stormtrooper Corps, the successors to the GAR, also used regiments composed of four battalions and commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel for a total of 2,048 stormtroopers. Stormtrooper regiments were pure combat units with no support personnel, instead taking what they needed from the regular Army.^[6] In addition to stormtroopers, there were 404 officers within a regiment, with 2,453 units (composed of four battalions plus one unit).^[7] In addition, a stormtrooper regiment's size was sufficient to seize a Class A planetary starport.^[8]