Dune Sea Garrison Commanding Officer Jennifer LaFortune (SL/ID-7047) chats with StarWars.com about the origins of the ISO, what charity work the ladies do, and why it's fun to bond with other gals in Star Wars uniform -- all for a good cause.
What is the ISO (Imperial Service Organization) all about?
The Imperial Service Organization is a social network of volunteers who pledge to support charity organizations in their endeavors, and to support and boost morale for people in the armed services. The ISO focuses its resources in large part on the 501st Legion. The ISO was formed for the express purpose of giving members a collective identity within which to operate, supporting 501st members as they costume for charitable purposes, as well as supporting members of the armed services.
Put more simply, the ISO gives the ladies within and surrounding the 501st a fun way to associate with each other, and build connections and sisterhood both locally and all over. Our girls can frequently be found "wrangling" for the 501st at events, helping with costumes and taking pictures, and also on their own, raising money for charities and putting together care packages for troops overseas.
How did the ISO start?
We had talked about the concept in the Dune Sea Garrison (DSG) for some time, wanting to have a cute "booth babe" kind of outfit -- similar to when vendors do a convention, and will frequently have nice looking women out and around the booth to heighten interest. This could make the wives and girlfriends feel a part of things, and a part of the DSG family. When Celebration IV rolled around, we decided to debut our concept at the 501st Mixer, so four of us preceded the DSG in our group's entrance into the event. The reaction was immediate, and overwhelmingly positive.
At the event, the inimitable artist Tom Hodges strolled over and said, "So you guys are kind of like a USO for stormtroopers." The wheels turned, and after a pause, I said, "Well, yes. That's exactly what we are." The concept gelled in that moment. Where we hadn't been able to put a firm finger on how to explain the matching shirts and skirts, with those words, it suddenly made sense.
During the long drive home from Los Angeles to Phoenix, the idea continued to tease at the back of my mind, and I started making phone calls. It was insane, it couldn't possibly work, but I kept wondering if it would be possible to make this "girl group" something more. Sure, the pictures were cute and got everybody pretty excited, but what if we were able to use the concept to actually do some good, and create another avenue for improving our world?
Many of the men I talked to said, "You want to start another group tangential to the 501st, with all women? Good luck." But the girls were another story. We thought about what the USO does, supporting troops overseas and at home. If nothing else, we could put together care packages for those 501st members serving abroad, with Star Wars materials that we and our men all had in abundance. The DSG girls are intelligent and strong and focused, and we got the idea rolling.
What kind of costumes do you wear? What's the WWII connection?
The original costume idea was a version of a WWII nurse's uniform, one of the enduring visual images from the period. It's well-known that George Lucas modeled many of the dogfight scenes in the original trilogy on actual WWII footage, and that imagery and themes from the period are interwoven throughout the entire saga. When we thought of what a Star Wars "booth babe" should look like, extending the WWII concept seemed to make sense.
As a result, we wear short-sleeved well-tailored nurse-style tops in desert tan, with our home garrison's patch attached over our hearts, along with a black skirt and back seam fishnet hose. The shoes are generally Mary Jane style similar to those popular in the '40s. It's been an excellent choice, because just about any body style can tailor the outfit to be flattering, and anyone anywhere can acquire the appropriate top. Then we finish the look with '40s-style hair and makeup.
As we've expanded into more types of outings, we've expanded the uniform to include a "tactical" version, designed for situations where skirts and heels might not be practical. This version includes the omnipresent "ISO shirt," with black shorts and black knee-high boots. We also look forward to what will become our "full formal dress" uniform, which will be the canon and more galactic version that Tom draws in The Clone Wars online comic.
As an all-female support group for troops in a galaxy far, far away, you all also support real world troops as well. What do you do for the real-life troops?
We collect merchandise that relates to the Star Wars universe, that we know will be meaningful to Legion members, and add it to normal care package types of items to create special Star Wars themed care packages to send. We've had great support from many of the garrisons in the 501st, whether it was games, cookbooks, T-shirts and patches. We also try to track down some of our favorite Star Wars personalities like Karen Traviss and have them autograph books and other items for the troops. They are uniformly gracious and warm in supporting the cause. The ISO ladies collect the food items and other supplies for the care packages, and frequently end up donating much of it themselves.
What kind of charity work does the ISO do?
Our main assignment is to support the 501st in their pursuits -- and look good doing it. When the Legion troops, we help with armor and keep at the troopers to drink water and not overtire. At conventions, we help "man" the booth and take pictures. At the Fiesta Bowl Parade in January 2009, we marched alongside the parade block (in addition to carrying the banner) and assisted those troopers who had to fall out for whatever reason, kept the fans from showing too much touchy-feely love, and left flats of water in our cars at the foot of the parade route for the benefit of the tired marchers. The Legion does such exceptional work, and we are honored to be able to help them in their pursuits.
We also help raise money for various charities. In 2008, at Phoenix Cactus Comic-Con, we hosted a charity mixer to benefit Kids Need To Read, a wonderful charity that supports interactive literacy. When we help with a booth at conventions or the like, we will frequently take donations for pictures, to support various causes.
