Spartan Training and Qualification Program
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
- "The United Nations Space Command did not just transform you worthless sacks of shit into the finest fighting men and women the galaxy has to offer just to have you collapse there and whine about it!"
- — Captain Marisa O'Day, to the 2555 class of SPARTAN-IV trainees.[1]
The Spartan Training and Qualification Program[2] is a military training program of physical and combat training run for prospective recruits in the SPARTAN-IV program. The training is run by Spartan Training and Education, a department of the Spartan Operations division of the United Nations Space Command.
Overview[edit]
Background[edit]
The establishment of a comprehensive and robust training infrastructure was one of the most immediate goals of the Spartan Operations division, following its establishment in 2554, as to ensure that the onboarding process was both efficient and effective.[4] Alongside the SPARTAN-IV program as a whole, the training is designed with inspiration taken from the ORION Project - AKA the "SPARTAN-Is"; a program conducted by the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) in the 2490s and early 2500s consisting of adult human volunteers given augmentations in an attempt to create supersoldiers. This stands in contrast to the efforts of the SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III programs, which both utilised child conscripts.[1]
Spartan training may be conducted at one of a number of sites, predominantly classified space stations, utilising War Games technology to simulate live combat exercises. These include the stations Naxos, Virgo, and an unidentified facility. An additional station, Laconia Station, was also used for training until its destruction by the Created in 2559.[5] Training is also conducted at physical sites. These may include remote industrial sites requisitioned for use,[3] alongside purpose-built facilities like the Avery J. Johnson Academy of Military Science on Nysa - named after Sergeant Major Avery Johnson, one of the original ORION operatives and a war hero of the Human-Covenant War. Admiral Jilan al-Cygni, of ONI Section Three, frequently visited the academy site to observe the Spartans in training throughout the Created uprising due to her own personal vested interests in the program.[6]
Alongside the above facilities, Spartan Operations also worked with private arms contractors to develop orbital "Munera Platform" space station training facilities, which act as small War Games-capable simulation stations.[4] These stations allow Spartans to continue with their training when stationed at locations which are not equipped to house a dedicated War Games facility, and can be found at most naval depots and UNSC training facilities,[7] such as Perihelion Station.
Training process[edit]
Recruits for the SPARTAN-IV program are mostly drawn from pre-existing military special operations personnel, most of whom have already undergone standard UNSC basic training earlier in their careers. Training for SPARTAN-IV candidates begins following the successful completion of their augmentations, which alter their body into a supersoldier and allow them to equip and use MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor. The augmentations are conducted at the SPARTAN-IV program's headquarters on Mars,[9] with candidates then given a few weeks to rest and recuperate; they are only allowed to begin their training once they have recieved sign-off from a doctor.[1] Once deemed fit, the recruits are shipped out from the Mars headquarters to one of a number of training sites including:
The SPARTAN-IV training process involves instillation of basic discipline among the recruits; due to many of them already having had long service careers in the military, the process forces them to kick any bad habits that may have emerged throughout their lifetime, alongside subjecting them to a level of control by a superior that they may have not had if already holding senior ranks in their respective military branches.[1] Initial training begins before the recruits are given access to MJOLNIR armour, with the early days involving the recruits "learning to walk again" after their augmentation surgeries,[8] progressing onto more intensive physical regimens including combat exercises conducted by Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) training staff. Using live training grounds and War Games simulation technology, Spartan recruits conduct exercises against automated turrets and veteran[1] UNSC Marines[8] using nonlethal rounds (presumably tactical training rounds).[1] Another key aspect of the training (especially against regular unaugmented personnel) is to humble the would-be Spartans and dissuade them of any notion that they are automatically better than their peers due to their augmented bodies; and prevent them from being over-cocky and making mistakes that may get them killed.[8]
Although most Spartans already have basic hand-to-hand combat training from their prior military careers, Spartans recieve additional martial arts training including Akido, Jiu-Jitsu, and Krav Maga, alongside lessons in how to apply these techniques to larger and more powerful alien opponents such as Jiralhanae and Sangheili. Trainees are paired with a Spartan already proficient in these skills to learn from, and find that their augmentations increase the rate in which they can learn from their opponents. Sparring sessions with unaugmented personnel are discouraged due to the high chance of accidental injury or death,[10] a lesson learned from a boxing match between a young John-117 and four Orbital Drop Shock Troopers aboard UNSC Atlas in 2525, which left all two ODSTs dead and two mortally wounded.
Spartans are trained in the use of a wide array of weaponry, both human and non-human in origin. This includes the use of combat knives and blades, firearms, directed-energy weapons, missile and rocket launchers, explosives ranging from demolition charges to nuclear warheads, alongside handling and operation of Covenant plasma weaponry, Forerunner hard light weaponry, and Jiralhanae spike weaponry. This ensures that Spartans remain adaptable in the field, and are able to use any tool they may find themselves required to use during a mission.[11]
Training with Covenant plasma weapons typically begins with a review of emergency medical treatment procedures for plasma burns and handling weapons designed for alien ergonomics, with particular care given to energy swords due to the high chance for accidental dismemberment. Additional care is also given for Jiralhanae-developed weapons, which frequently lack safety features and have unstable power supplies. Despite these weapons crude externalities, ONI recommends that all SPARTAN-IVs become proficient in their use.[11] After they have qualified, Spartans may be invited to join the classified Anvil Initiative, which provides opportunities to undergo additional training with Covenant weapons alongside Sangheili troops of the Swords of Sanghelios.[7]
Spartans, alongside other commando units such as the ODST "Bullfrogs" or Delta-6 Division, also recieve training in the use of portable jetpacks in-atmosphere. This "jump pack training" is differentiated from the more standardised training provided to regular UNSC Navy and Marine Corps personnel, which only covers their use in an microgravity context.[12]
Qualification[edit]
At the end of the training process, recruits earn the military title of Spartan;[13] inspired by the traditions of the prior SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III programs, the Spartan Operations division forgoes traditional military ranking schemes in favour of a simplified and more streamlined one. All basic qualified personnel hold the title of "Spartan", broadly equivalent to a First Lieutenant (O-2) in the Unified Ground Command rank structure,[14] and operate as equals, with emphasis placed on independence and unity of purpose.[4] A congratulatory letter is also sent to every Spartan from the Chief of Staff of Spartan Operations (COSSPAR), which informs them of their first fireteam assignment.[15][13]
Upon qualification, Spartans also earn their MJOLNIR powered exoskeleton.[1][8] Per UNSC Regulation 3A-950, all Spartans are granted access to one MJOLNIR suit, upon acceptance of the Drobin Priority requirements.[16] All Spartans are required to use a suit of Generation 2 RECRUIT-class armour until such a time as they have demonstrated a complete mastery of their augmentations.[13][17] After assessment, the UNSC provides recommendations on a MJOLNIR loadout tailored to the Spartan's observed skillset and preferences, though the final decision on which gear to use ultimately comes down to the Spartan's own choice.[16][18] Spartans are also issued an MA5D assault rifle and M6H magnum as a standardised weapons loadout, with other weapons issued upon request.[13]
Additional training[edit]
Even after qualifying from the Spartan Training and Qualification Program, Spartans are expected to keep up with both physical and mental training in order to keep their skills sharp. Due to the SPARTAN-IV process being conducted on adult volunteers rather than the previous programs' child abductees, the augmentations must be specifically tailored to a subject's body. This means that to some extent, every SPARTAN-IV is totally unique, and their augmentations less stable; throughout their career, SPARTAN-IVs require regular "tune ups" and maintenance to ensure that they remain combat-ready.[19][18]
Once given an assignment, Spartans regularly continue to train in their downtime through the use of War Games combat simulations. These pit teams of SPARTAN-IVs against one another to allow Spartans to familiarise themselves with weapons, tactics, and objectives, using simulation environments developed by the UNSC Cartographer Initiative.[7] War Games matches may be broadcast as a live sport via Waypoint for civilian enjoyment,[20] and within the arena Spartans are rated on a numerical "Spartan Rank" system, graded from at least SR1 to SR50, and beyond.[21] After achieving SR50, Spartans are permitted to qualify for a number Specializations, in which Spartans are given a specialist rating in a select field, and additional training on select armour and weapon systems.[21]
Spartans may also be invited to join the classified Anvil Initiative, a joint cross-training program conducted alongside the Swords of Sanghelios primarily aboard Anvil Station.[7]
Gallery[edit]
Spartan Commander Agryna inducting new recruits into the program at the Avery J. Johnson Academy.
The Spartan Training and Qualification Program sign from the Avery J. Johnson Academy.
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo: Initiation (First appearance)
- Halo: New Blood
- Halo: Bad Blood
- Halo Infinite (First named)
Sources[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g Halo: New Blood, chapter 15
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign level Tutorial: Training program sign in the firing range
- ^ a b Halo 3, multiplayer map Last Resort: Description "Remote industrial sites like this one are routinely requisitioned and razed as part of Spartan training exercises."
- ^ a b c Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 65
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 35
- ^ Halo: Empty Throne, chapter 11
- ^ a b c d Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual, page 46-47
- ^ a b c d e Halo: Initiation, issue 2
- ^ Halo: New Blood, chapter 14
- ^ Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual, page 40-41
- ^ a b Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual, page 42-45
- ^ Halo Waypoint, UNSC Jetpack (Retrieved on Oct 27, 2015) [archive]
- ^ a b c d Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual, page 30
- ^ Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual, page 33
- ^ Halo Legendary Crate, Data Drop 1
- ^ a b Halo 4, Infinity Briefing Packet: MJOLNIR GEN2 requisition sheet
- ^ Halo 5: Guardians, Armory: Recruit body description "SPARTAN-IVs are required to use the RECRUIT-class armor until they demonstrate mastery over their many augmentations."
- ^ a b Halo 4, Infinity Briefing Packet: From the Desk of Chief Mechanized Repair Officer Gordon Kushner, UNSC Infinity
- ^ Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual, page 36-37
- ^ Halo: Moonrise Over Mombasa
- ^ a b Halo 4, Infinity Briefing Packet: Specialist recruitment letter
| |||||||||||||||||
