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These men backed up stormtroopers and were created to provide the Imperial Navy a corps of troops separate from the Imperial Army and the Stormtrooper Corps for protection of their ships. However, in general, Imperial Navy troopers were not considered a challenge to members of the Rebel Alliance's SpecOps.
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In some cases, such as those units stationed in the Outer Rim Territories, the Navy soldiers had gained enough experience to be a credible threat to their enemies. Vessels and installations that were located in more remote regions tended to rely more on their Navy troopers. In addition, they did see combat, but tended to lack the edge that blooded troops got from their engagements.
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While this was the opinion of SpecForce members, this was not entirely true, as Navy troopers tended to be both well-equipped and adequately trained for their tasks. Members of the Alliance Special Forces believed that the Imperial Navy troopers were considered a joke and that such soldiers rarely ever expected to enter into combat engagements.
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