Spartan Operations: Difference between revisions

Spartan Operations
	; The Spartan branch insignia, derived from that of the SPARTAN-IIs.
Active:	c. 2553 — present
Affiliation:	United Earth Government
Branch:	UNSC Defense Force
Type:	Independent branch
Role:	Joint special operations
Size:	300-500+ Spartans
Engagements:	Insurrection Attack on the UNSC Infinity; Terceira revolt; Talitsa revolt; Cascade incident; Reclamation conflict Battle of Draetheus V; First Battle of Requiem; Second Battle of Requiem; Battle of Ealen IV; Ambush at Oth Lodon;

Revision as of 01:19, June 30, 2014

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"Per Mare, Per Terras, Per Constellatum."

— Motto. "By Sea, By Land, By the Stars."^[2]

Spartan, also referred to as the Spartan branch,^[3] is the fifth and newest branch of the UNSC Defense Force. It is responsible for the command of special operations undertaken mainly by members of the fourth-generation SPARTAN program, with former elements of the SPARTAN-III program and even a small number of SPARTAN-IIs integrated into their ranks. This branch was established in the years following the apocalyptic Human-Covenant War, a time which saw a dramatic increase in the numbers of Spartan supersoldiers upon the activation of the SPARTAN-IV program.^[4]

History

Origins

The production of large numbers of Spartans with relative ease did not become possible in practice until the end of the Human-Covenant War. Despite this, optimistic projections in 2531 suggested that a hundred thousand new Spartans might be created in the following thirty years.^[5] Between 2531 and 2552, nearly a thousand Spartans were trained, augmented, and graduated as part of the SPARTAN-III program, masterminded by Army veteran and ONI confidant Colonel James Ackerson.

The beginnings of the fourth generation of the venerable Spartan program began shortly before the end of hostilities in the Human-Covenant War.^[6] The program was conceived by Lieutenant Commander Musa-096, a former SPARTAN-II crippled by the augmentation process. Despite believing that the methodology of the SPARTAN-II program was highly unethical, Musa was also adamant that the Spartans were critical for humanity's survival and would continue to be so in the following years.^[7]

Due to ethical factors, as well as advancements in technology now allowed the augmentation of adult subjects without the major risks which necessitated the use of children in the preceding programs, it was decided that future Spartans would be consenting adults, all of whom handpicked for their exceptional service during the war, mainly from special operations units from across the armed forces.^[8]^[4] This marked a return to the recruitment methodology of the ORION Project, which had created bio-engineered soldiers to fight the growing Insurrection in the Outer Colonies over sixty years earlier. Coincidentally, the SPARTAN-IVs would come to serve in a similar capacity, fighting resurgent colonial rebellions.

Admiral Margaret Parangosky, Commander-in-Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence, who had previously authorized the second and third generations, approved of the new program, particularly because of its moral transparency in comparison to the previous programs.^[8] Originally, Parangosky planned to give command of the SPARTAN-IV program and ultimately the Spartan branch to Colonel James Ackerson.^[9] Serving under him, presumably in a scientific role to enhance the augmentation procedures and spearhead new technologies, would be Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey, MD, PhD, matriarch of the SPARTAN-II program.^[9] However, neither would come to serve the SPARTAN-IVs: Colonel Ackerson was executed as a war prisoner aboard the Covenant vessel Triumphant Declaration following his defeat at Mare Erythraeum in November 2552.^[10] Dr. Halsey became trapped within the Forerunner shield world Trevelyan, later to be exiled to Ivanoff Station orbiting Installation 03^[11] and then onboard the UNSC Infinity by Admiral Parangosky.

Creation

Prior to the formation of the SPARTAN-IV program as it now exists, ONI Section III authorized a prototypical phase of the project with the approval of the UNSC High Command. This incarnation attempted to create Spartans without the need for MJOLNIR armor. However, the augmentations killed nine of the ten volunteers and mentally destabilized the survivor, Ilsa Zane, who was reassigned to ONI.^[12] The modern version of the program was initiated some time later.

In January 2553, the first successful batch of the nascent SPARTAN-IVs defended UNSC Infinity from an attack (and brief commandeering) by the Insurrectionist group known as the New Colonial Alliance; the hijacking was led by the now-defected Ilsa Zane. The Spartans' repelling of the takeover attempt also exposed Admiral Mattius Drake as a traitor. Following the incident, Lieutenant Commander Musa-096 announced the establishment of the Spartans as their own distinct branch to HIGHCOM.^[12] Training for the new Spartans was conducted in various places, particularly the virtual reality deck aboard the highly advanced warship Infinity, then located in the Oort cloud beyond the Sol system.^[6]

The surviving SPARTAN-III supersoldiers were requested by Admiral Parangosky and Naval Intelligence for reassignment to Spartan branch in early 2553. The active SPARTAN-IIs were given the choice of "pulling together" the remaining SPARTAN-IIIs and integrating them into the SPARTAN-IV program.^[13] SPARTAN-II Blue Team continued to operate (presumably within the new branch) as of July 2557.^[14] Their operations remained highly secretive.^[15]

Combat deployments

Since its instatement in early 2553, the Spartan branch has seen a number of engagements in both the resurgent Insurrection and the continuing hostilities against both rogue Covenant factions. Sometime between March 2553 and July 2557, two of the first SPARTAN-IVs, Edward Davis and Sarah Palmer, were present in a battle against a Covenant resurgence on the former Forerunner world of Draetheus V.^[16]

During an exploration mission, the UNSC Infinity was pulled into Requiem, an ancient Forerunner shield world, by a Cryptum-occupying Promethean known as the Didact and his forces.^[17]^[18] Led by Commander Sarah Palmer,^[1] the Spartans, aided by Infinity's Marines, would assist MCPO John-117 in his fight against the Prometheans, as well as the distracting Covenant which had followed the beleaguered SPARTAN-II to Requiem.^[17] The Spartans teamed with John-117 to destroy the gravity well generator and to defend the Infinity from attacks by the Didact, but left with the Infinity when Captain Andrew Del Rio chose not to stay and stop the Didact, an order John-117 disregarded.

After John-117 defeated the Didact and saved Earth, a number of Spartans aboard Infinity gathered to salute him as he finally returned to Earth after over four-and-a-half years missing in action. Later, with the Infinity high above, numerous Spartan teams, including Fireteam Crimson and Fireteam Majestic, would serve on Requiem six months after the initial skirmishes on the shield world, fighting both the forces of the revived Covenant and the Prometheans.

Composition

Organization

Spartans operate in fireteam-sized units, which are in turn part of a larger Spartan detachment. Unlike the hierarchical rank structures of the UNSC's traditional military branches, all members of the Spartan branch are considered equal and lack formal ranks. "Spartan" used in the place of rank when addressing members of the branch. Leadership and combat specialization are determined by a Spartan's personal skills and abilities, demonstrated both in combat in the field and in War Games exercises. This skill is reflected by Spartan Rank, which has an alphanumeric value between SR1 and SR130. Spartans who meet or exceed SR50 are allowed to join one of eight wings of the branch known simply as Specializations; a Spartan's choice of Specialization ideally reflects the participant's Military Occupational Specialty, such as engineering or vehicle operation.^[19]

Detachments operate under a Spartan commander. While "Commander" is often used to address a Spartan detachment's overall leader, this merely refers to their administrative role instead of being a formal rank.^[20] For example, Sarah Palmer serves as the commander of UNSC Infinity's contingent of several hundred Spartans, yet she is technically equal in rank to her subordinates. Fireteams, which typically contain around four members, are led by a team leader as in the UNSCDF's other branches.

Personnel

During the Human-Covenant War, Spartan fatalities were always listed as missing in action or wounded in action in accordance with ONI Directive 930 in order to bolster morale by maintaining a myth of invincibility around the almost legendary supersoldiers. This practice was not carried over to the Spartan branch in the postwar era, and the deaths of fallen Spartans are formally acknowledged and commemorated.^[21]

The following is a list of known personnel serving in the Spartan branch. The ranks listed are the original ranks of each serviceperson before their enlistment in the branch.

Name	Original rank	Home branch	Unit	Specialty
Sarah Palmer	Lt (unknown grade)	Marine Corps (ODST)	UNSC Infinity	Contingent commander
Jun-A266	WO (unknown grade)	Army/Navy	NOBLE Team (originally of Alpha Company)	Sniper and recruiter
Lucy-B091	PO2	Navy	Blue Team (originally of Foxtrot Team, Beta Company; later trained Gamma Company)	Scout and instructor
Tom-B292	PO2	Navy	Blue Team (originally of Foxtrot Team, Beta Company; later trained Gamma Company)	Team leader and instructor
Ash-G099	Pvt	—	Blue Team (originally of Saber Team, Gamma Company)	Team leader
Mark	—	—	Blue Team (originally of Saber Team, Gamma Company)	Sniper
Olivia	—	—	Blue Team (originally of Saber Team, Gamma Company)	Scout
Gabriel Thorne	—	Army	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Majestic	Team leader
Paul DeMarco	—	Marine Corps (ODST)	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Majestic (Formerly), Fireteam Bailey	Team leader
Tedra Grant	—	Navy	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Majestic	—
Anthony Madsen	—	Marine Corps	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Majestic	Sniper
Carlo Hoya	—	Marine Corps (ODST)	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Majestic	—
Jared Miller	—	—	UNSC Infinity	Mission handler
Robert Dalton	—	—	UNSC Infinity	—
Estey-Bethel	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Castle	—
Lincoln	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Castle	—
Dunlap	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Castle	—
Casillas	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Castle	—
Tashi	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Castle	—
Ernst Deming	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Castle	Team leader
Scott Macrae	—	—	UNSC Infinity	—
Fredric Zurenia	—	—	UNSC Infinity	—
Horatio Fry	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Shadow	Team leader
Cara Costabile	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Switchback	Team leader
Bradford Gale	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Switchback	—
Terry Ledge	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Lancer	—
Carmichael	—	—	UNSC Infinity	Mission handler
Gustavo Esposito	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Forest	—
Edward Davis	—	—		—
Joel Thomas	Sgt	—		—
Vladimir Scruggs	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Jackknife	—
Yeong-hao Holst	—	—		—
Bethany Kossup	—	—		—
Naiya Ray	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Jackknife	—
Hong	—	—	UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Bailey	—
Locke	—	—	Office of Naval Intelligence	—

Known units

All units in the following are noted as they remain following the Battle of Ealen IV in March 5, 2558.

Fireteam Apex — Unknown^[22]
Fireteam Avalanche — Unknown
Fireteam Bailey — 4 soldiers
Fireteam Castle — 6 soldiers
Fireteam Colossus — Unknown
Fireteam Crimson — 4 soldiers
Fireteam Domino — Unknown^[22]
Fireteam Fenrir — Unknown
Fireteam Horse — Unknown^[22]
Fireteam Ivy — Unknown^[22]
Fireteam Kodiak — Unknown
Fireteam Lancer — Unknown
Fireteam Majestic — 4 soldiers
Fireteam Rhino — Unknown^[22]
Fireteam Shadow — Unknown^[22]
Fireteam Switchback — 4 soldiers
Fireteam Sword — Unknown^[22]
Fireteam Sydney — Unknown^[19]
Fireteam Talon — Unknown^[22]
Fireteam Tower — Unknown^[22]
Fireteam Wolf — Unknown^[22]

Numbers

Warning: The following information is conjecture and does not necessarily represent official information.

The total number of Spartan personnel in the branch has not yet been specified, but the minimum count is well over 300: Template:UNSCship alone carries 300 to 500 Spartans.^[1] This count may include any former SPARTAN-III personnel, since all SPARTAN-IIIs active by early 2553 were reassigned to Spartan branch on Admiral Parangosky's orders.^[13]

315 members of SPARTAN-III Gamma Company were deployed into combat in October 2552,^[23] though the status of these Spartans following the war is unknown. Fifteen members of Gamma Company remained on Onyx; of these Spartans, three survivors of Team Saber are active as of March 2553, while the five members of Team Katana were last seen in a critical condition.^[24] The absolute minimum number of surviving SPARTAN-III supersoldiers as of March 2553 stands at five and includes Ash-G099, Mark and Olivia of Team Saber, as well as their two Beta Company instructors, Tom-B292 and Lucy-B091. Provided that the majority of Gamma Company were still active by the time of the establishment of the Spartan branch and the members of Katana returned to active duty, the total number of former SPARTAN-III personnel in the branch may be as high as 325.

Additionally, a number of SPARTAN-IIIs from the special operations program known as Headhunters may have been added to the roster of the Spartan branch. At the height of the Headhunter program, a total of seventeen Spartans served in its ranks.^[25] Four Headhunters were killed during a mission on a moon. Thus the maximum number of remaining Headhunters stands at thirteen.^[26] Since much of the chronology and details of the Headhunter program remain undisclosed, it is unknown whether the program was even active by the end of the war or how many of its members may have ultimately survived.

If the remaining SPARTAN-IIs joined the branch, their numbers may range from four to fifteen, as a large number of them remained missing or out of contact with the UNSC as of their last sighting. The operations of those SPARTAN-IIs who continued to serve remain highly classified. The SPARTAN-IIs confirmed to be in active service within the UNSC include Linda-058, John-117, Kelly-087, Fred-104, and Naomi-010, with the latter serving in the covert black ops unit Kilo-Five. Maria-062 planned on retiring from service circa October 2552. There are also a number of second-generation Spartans missing or unreachable as of most recent knowledge. These include the Spartans aboard the UNSC Spirit of Fire, missing in unknown space since 2531: Douglas-042, Jerome-092 and Alice-130. Gray Team (Jai-006, Adriana-111, and Mike-120) remained out of contact by August 2552, while Team Black (Black-One, Black-Two, Black-Three and Victor-101) were last sighted stranded on an unidentified moon around the same time.

Conjecture ends here.

Production background

The role of the Spartan branch could be likened to that of the American Special Operations Command (JSOC) of the 21st century. It consists of the nation's most highly trained soldiers, including such units as the Army's Delta Force (1st SFOD-D) and the Navy's SEAL Team Six (DEVGRU). They undertake unconventional warfare missions too sensitive and too high-risk for other special forces units, most notably counter-terrorism. JSOC is known for their unified command and asset structure, just as the Spartan branch exists to provide unified oversight of the Spartans.
The Spartan branch's motto is derived from that of the British Royal Marines, "Per Mare, Per Terram,": "By Sea, By Land."
As depicted in Issue #7 of Halo: Escalation, the dress uniform for the Spartan branch is nearly identical to the service uniform used by the cadets at Corbulo Academy of Military Science, only colored navy blue and black as opposed to the white and black coloration of the Corbulo uniforms. The uniforms seen in Escalation even incorporate the single lozenge used to identify freshman cadets at Corbulo; it is uncertain whether this holds any particular significance regarding the Spartans' rank or if it is simply a mistake.

List of appearances

Halo: Glasslands Template:First mentioned
Halo: The Thursday War (Mentioned only)
Halo 4 (First appearance)
- Spartan Ops
Halo: Spartan Assault
Halo: Initiation
Halo: Escalation
Halo 5: Guardians

Sources

^ ^a ^b ^c YouTube: Halo 4 Flag Stabbing and Spartan Cosplay - Comic-Con 2012
^ Halo Waypoint - Intel: Spartan Ops
^ Halo 4 Limited Edition — Spartan armor customization schematic
^ ^a ^b Halo Waypoint: Story
^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 64
^ ^a ^b Halo: Glasslands, page 422
^ Halo: Initiation, Issue #1
^ ^a ^b Halo: Glasslands, page 434
^ ^a ^b Halo: Glasslands, page 147
^ Halo: Uprising, issue one
^ Halo: Glasslands, page 341
^ ^a ^b Halo: Initiation, Issue #3
^ ^a ^b Halo: Glasslands, page 435
^ Halo 4, campaign level Shutdown
^ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide
^ Halo: Spartan Assault
^ ^a ^b Halo 4, E3 2012 campaign demonstration
^ GameTrailers: GTTV: Halo 4
^ ^a ^b Halo 4 Limited Edition — Infinity Briefing Packet
^ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 33
^ Halo: Escalation, Issue #3
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Halo 4 Limited Edition — War Games Session Summary
^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 139
^ Halo: Glasslands, page 310
^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, "Headhunters", page 160
^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, "Headhunters", page 188-192

[panel-1] YouTube: Halo 4 Flag Stabbing and Spartan Cosplay - Comic-Con 2012

[2] Halo Waypoint - Intel: Spartan Ops

[3] Halo 4 Limited Edition — Spartan armor customization schematic

[HW_Story-4] Halo Waypoint: Story

[5] Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 64

[GL_422-6] Halo: Glasslands, page 422

[init1-7] Halo: Initiation, Issue #1

[GL_434-8] Halo: Glasslands, page 434

[GL_147-9] Halo: Glasslands, page 147

[Uprising-10] Halo: Uprising, issue one

[GL_341-11] Halo: Glasslands, page 341

[init3-12] Halo: Initiation, Issue #3

[glass435-13] Halo: Glasslands, page 435

[14] Halo 4, campaign level Shutdown

[15] Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide

[16] Halo: Spartan Assault

[E3_2012-17] Halo 4, E3 2012 campaign demonstration

[gttv-18] GameTrailers: GTTV: Halo 4

[Infinity_Briefing-19] Halo 4 Limited Edition — Infinity Briefing Packet

[h4evg-20] Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 33

[21] Halo: Escalation, Issue #3

[War_Games_Session_Summary-22] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Halo 4 Limited Edition — War Games Session Summary

[23] Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 139

[24] Halo: Glasslands, page 310

[25] Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, "Headhunters", page 160

[26] Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, "Headhunters", page 188-192

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 *The role of the Spartan branch could be likened to that of the [[Wikipedia:Joint Special Operations Command|American Special Operations Command]] (JSOC) of the 21st century. It consists of the nation's most highly trained soldiers, including such units as the Army's [[Wikipedia:Delta Force|Delta Force]] (1st SFOD-D) and the Navy's [[Wikipedia:United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group|SEAL Team Six]] (DEVGRU). They undertake [[Wikipedia:Unconventional warfare|unconventional warfare]] missions too sensitive and too high-risk for other special forces units, most notably [[Wikipedia:Counter terrorism|counter-terrorism]]. JSOC is known for their unified command and asset structure, just as the Spartan branch exists to provide unified oversight of the Spartans.
 *The Spartan branch's motto is derived from that of the British [[Wikipedia:Royal Marines|Royal Marines]], "''Per Mare, Per Terram,''": "''By Sea, By Land.''"
+*As depicted in Issue #7 of ''[[Halo: Escalation]]'', the [[:File:Escalation-Thorne_in_Spartan_dress_uniform.png|dress uniform]] for the Spartan branch is nearly identical to the [[:File:FUD Orenski Lasky Silva color adjust.jpg|service uniform]] used by the cadets at [[Corbulo Academy of Military Science]], only colored navy blue and black as opposed to the white and black coloration of the Corbulo uniforms. The uniforms seen in ''Escalation'' even incorporate the single lozenge used to identify freshman cadets at Corbulo; it is uncertain whether this holds any particular significance regarding the Spartans' rank or if it is simply a mistake.
 ==List of appearances==