ONI Directive 930: Difference between revisions

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==Background==
==Background==
When the UNSC went public with the SPARTAN-II program, the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] feared that reports of Spartan losses would cripple morale throughout the UNSC.<ref>''[[Halo: First Strike]]''</ref> To prevent this, ONI Section Two issued a directive requiring the falsification of any circumstances regarding the deaths of Spartans, specifically, it banned the application of [[Killed In Action|KIA]] status to Spartan personnel. The protocol created and maintained the myth that Spartans never die, and led to the common use of the bitterly ironic phrase "Spartans never die" among the Spartans themselves. This has not gone unnoticed by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], whose members (including [[Prophets]]) often refer to Spartans as "[[demon]]s", due to their ability to kill thousands of Covenant infantry at a time without death.
When the UNSC went public with the SPARTAN-II program, the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] feared that reports of Spartan losses would cripple morale throughout the UNSC.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]'''</ref> To prevent this, ONI Section Two issued a directive requiring the falsification of any circumstances regarding the deaths of Spartans, specifically, it banned the application of [[Killed In Action|KIA]] status to Spartan personnel. The protocol created and maintained the myth that Spartans never die, and led to the common use of the bitterly ironic phrase "Spartans never die" among the Spartans themselves. This has not gone unnoticed by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], whose members (including [[Prophets]]) often refer to Spartans as "[[demon]]s", due to their ability to kill thousands of Covenant infantry at a time without death.


==The Protocol==
==The Protocol==
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==Application to SPARTAN-IIIs==
==Application to SPARTAN-IIIs==
Just before his death, SPARTAN-II [[Kurt-051]] lists the status of two deceased SPARTAN-III's as MIA, "adhering to the tradition of never listing a fallen Spartan as 'killed in action' ".<ref>''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'', page 371</ref> However, this was likely more sentimental than official, as ONI Directive 930 was specific to the SPARTAN-IIs' publicity. In fact, the SPARTAN-III program was never even intended to go public due to concerns about a negative effect on morale and faith in the UNSC.
Just before his death, SPARTAN-II [[Kurt-051]] lists the status of two deceased SPARTAN-III's as MIA, "adhering to the tradition of never listing a fallen Spartan as 'killed in action' ".<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 371''</ref> However, this was likely more sentimental than official, as ONI Directive 930 was specific to the SPARTAN-IIs' publicity. In fact, the SPARTAN-III program was never even intended to go public due to concerns about a negative effect on morale and faith in the UNSC.


==Sources==
==Sources==

Revision as of 01:29, January 22, 2011

Template:Ratings

"Spartans never die, Jorge. They're just Missing in Action."
Carter-A259[1]

ONI Directive 930 is a UNSC regulation regarding the reporting of SPARTAN-II fatalities. It created a tradition which eventually extended to the SPARTAN-IIIs as well.

Background

When the UNSC went public with the SPARTAN-II program, the Office of Naval Intelligence feared that reports of Spartan losses would cripple morale throughout the UNSC.[2] To prevent this, ONI Section Two issued a directive requiring the falsification of any circumstances regarding the deaths of Spartans, specifically, it banned the application of KIA status to Spartan personnel. The protocol created and maintained the myth that Spartans never die, and led to the common use of the bitterly ironic phrase "Spartans never die" among the Spartans themselves. This has not gone unnoticed by the Covenant, whose members (including Prophets) often refer to Spartans as "demons", due to their ability to kill thousands of Covenant infantry at a time without death.

The Protocol

Office of Naval Intelligence Section Two Directive 930

To maintain morale among the forces of the UNSC, any Spartan casualties are to be listed as Missing In Action (MIA) or Wounded In Action (WIA), but never Killed In Action (KIA).

Application to SPARTAN-IIIs

Just before his death, SPARTAN-II Kurt-051 lists the status of two deceased SPARTAN-III's as MIA, "adhering to the tradition of never listing a fallen Spartan as 'killed in action' ".[3] However, this was likely more sentimental than official, as ONI Directive 930 was specific to the SPARTAN-IIs' publicity. In fact, the SPARTAN-III program was never even intended to go public due to concerns about a negative effect on morale and faith in the UNSC.

Sources