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SPARTAN-II program

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"You have been called upon to serve, you will be trained...and you will become the best we can make of you. You will be the Protectors of Earth and all her Colonies"
— Dr. Halsey to SPARTAN recruits

The SPARTAN-II Program was part of the SPARTAN Program, an effort to produce elite soldiers through mechanical and biological augmentation. The SPARTAN-II program would be the first in the series to meld advanced exoskeleton technology with the soldiers' superior physiques.

History

Origins

In the years following the deactivation of the ORION Project in 2506 the effectiveness of small special forces combating the insurrectionists became too large for the UNSC to manage. As the Insurrectionist attacks were becoming more effective and the military's responses heavier; the need for large scale military campaigns were becoming more and more necessary. By 2517 the Office of Naval Intelligence concluded that the instability of the outer colonies would continue to escalate and unless drastic military measures were taken, it would result in a massive war between the inner colonies and the outer colonies. The SPARTAN-II project, was conceived by Dr. Catherine Halsey of ONI's Section 3, as the successor to the original ORION project and the best possible solution to end the conflict with the Insurrectionists. The project was created with several goals in mind: First to create a group of elite soldiers meant to subdue insurrections in their infancy, without substantial military casualties. Second to minimize civilian casualties, and advert civil war. And third, to substantially reduce the cost of conventional means of pacification.

Halsey's proposal of the project detailed radical changes in many different fields. The first and most controversial; is the subjects themselves, who are selected by a gene-candidate pool, and must fit into a certain age restriction protocol. They must also possess superior physical and mental attributes. The trainees must be instilled with military value, and the understanding of war; something that cannot be taught to enlisted soldiers. This narrowed the candidates down to children who would be raised, and taught in the art of warfare and military values, from a young age. A military project using such controversial means of creating a soldier, meant the project would have to be carried out in the highest form of secrecy.

Though conventional body armor has protected soldiers for centuries, the SPARTAN-II project's second radical change involved integrating the subject with a new powered exoskeleton device, designed to help keep its user safe and provide a powerful means of combating enemy forces. The drawback of this new armor is its requirement of augmenting the subject, effectively turning the Spartans into human guinea pigs.

Despite the tremendous risk, and the unethical means of creating new soldiers, the SPARTAN-II project was approved by the top brass within ONI - who concluded that the lives that could be saved far outweighed the risks involved. By 2517, 150 suitable candidates, had been identified, but for budgetary reasons only half that number could be "conscripted". Seventy-Five children, all six years old of both sexes were kidnapped, and in order to preserve the program's secrecy, the children are replaced by flash clones which would die soon thereafter due to numerous medical complications associated with flash-cloning an entire human being.

Training

Main article: SPARTAN-II Training History

The SPARTAN-II candidates after being sedated were taken to the colony world Reach, and began their training under Chief Petty Officer Mendez. To marginalize the civilian lives they had once led, their names became a combination of their given names and a number, with family names being discarded. The Spartans endured a great deal of hardship during their first years of training, the Spartans were placed into situation and drills that pushed their abilities to their very limit and beyond. Their hard training was complemented with a good education, from math and science, reading and writing, to military tactics. His training methodology was tough, even brutal in some regards; Chief Petty Officer Mendez always instilled discipline, honor, respect to the Spartans. He taught the Spartans how to kill, but at the same time he taught them the difference between right and wrong. Mendez trained the Spartans until 2525 when at the age of fourteen, the Spartans would go through the toughest part of their training; the Augmentation Procedures, a process that would kill 30 of the 75 children conscripted, and cripple 12 others who would "wash out" of the SPARTAN-II program, going on to join the Office of Naval Intelligence or otherwise; only 33 survived the procedures to move on.

The Human-Covenant War

The Human-Covenant War marked a change in objectives for the program; originally intended to quell rebellions, the Spartans were now forced into battle against a superior opponent to the UNSC, this new threat accelerated their training to its final phase: Project MJOLNIR. With the MJOLNIR armor, the Spartans would be the first major UNSC response to the Covenant threat. During the course of the war though, the Spartans frequently demonstrated their superiority over human insurrectionists who despite the Covenant threat, continued to erode the economic base in the outer colonies. Countless times throughout the war the Spartans proved highly effective against all threats they went up against, heroic rearguard and delaying actions saved countless human lives from the genocidal Covenant onslaught. In 2547, The SPARTAN-II program goes public, in an effort to boost morale among the UNSC.

Inevitably the small number of SPARTAN-IIs dwindled as casualties were sustained. As the exploits of the Spartans was a major propaganda boom to the UNSC, ONI Section 2 issued Directive 930 stating that Spartans killed or wounded would be listed as "Missing in Action" (MIA) or "Wounded in Action" (WIA), thus maintaining the illusion of Spartan invincibility. In late 2552, all except three of the remaining active Spartans rendezvoused at Reach to receive new orders for an operation that HIGHCOM hoped would end the war. They would commandeer a Covenant vessel, locate the Covenant home planet, and return with captured Covenant leadership to force a ceasefire. To this end the Spartans were slated to be re-equipped with MJOLNIR Mark V armor. The A.I. Cortana, carried within John-117's armor, would serve as the strike force's hacker and technology specialist.

However, all preparations were interrupted and subsequently canceled by the Covenant Assault on Reach. In the ensuing disaster most of the SPARTAN-IIs were killed. Only two escaped, aboard the UNSC Pillar of Autumn, one was left in cryostasis aboard the ship after sustaining life threatening injuries from the battle, while the rest remained fighting for their lives on Reach. Following the events at Alpha Halo, The survivors returned to Reach and were able to link up with the remaining Spartans. They then carried out a strike that resulted in the destruction of a Covenant fleet anchorage which contributed to the UNSC tatical victory early in the Battle of Earth. SPARTAN-IIs would go on to play pivotal roles at the Battle of Onyx and the later operations in the Battle of Earth.

Personnel

"Die? Don't you know? Spartans never die..."
— Kurt-051 upon his death.

The identities of the Spartans' full names have been deleted from all military records. Only Dr. Halsey has secret files that contains the full names of all the Spartans on Reach; unfortunately, the records were destroyed after the the planet was Glassed[1]. Publicly only their first names and service tags are known with their current status.

Class I

The following is the list of all currently known SPARTAN-II subjects conscripted in 2517.

Discharged

These were Spartans who became too wounded to continue active service after failed augmentation procedures. They have been permanently reassigned within the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Class II

After the graduation of the first class of SPARTAN-IIs in 2525, Dr. Halsey began planning for the next wave of Spartans; her efforts, however, ran into problems. There were too few candidates that were in sync with her age restriction protocol and a majority of her funding was going towards MJOLNIR maintenance and construction; leaving little room for continued training efforts. By 2531, the majority of her funds had been diverted and she was forced to postpone the effort indefinitely.[4]

Around six years later, however, it seems that enough candidates within the right age were numerous enough to begin a second class. Six year old Yasmine Zaman was abducted and replaced by a Flashclone just like the Class-Is, and taught in a similar way. She however, died during augmentations.

Another girl, Janissary James, was selected as a suitable candidate for training. However, her father, an ORION Project member known now as "James James", killed the to-be kidnapper.[5]

SPARTAN-IIs Conscripted

There is some confusion concerning the number of SPARTAN-IIs throughout the series. For example, in Halo: The Fall of Reach, it is cited on page 46 that there are 75 children on board a pelican for a training mission; however, on page 47, it states that there were 67 children on the training mission out of 75 that were originally on board. No mention is made of the whereabouts of the missing 8. After the augmentation process all 75 reappear, with 33 surviving, 12 surviving but crippled, and 30 being killed as a result of the procedures.

In Halo: Fall of Reach, it is stated that all of the 33 surviving SPARTAN-IIs, with the exception of Grey Team which has been described to be on a mission far outside the confines of UNSC space, now missing for over a year[6], were gathered at Reach. Dr. Halsey states that in the last decade, prior to 2552, only three SPARTAN-IIs had been confirmed KIA between 2542 and 2552, one of which is Samuel-034 who died in 2525, and one is too wounded to continue active duty. This places the number of surviving SPARTAN-IIs at an assumed number of 28, with only 25 assumed present at Reach.[7] However, this assumption does not take into account possible KIAs, MIAs, or WIAs for the time between Samuel-034's death in 2525, and 2542. In Halo: First Strike, three SPARTAN-IIs diverted from defending Reach's Orbital Defense Generators to destroying the UNSC Circumference's NAV database while the rest of the SPARTAN-IIs will proceed to Reach's surface.[8] Later in the book, it was revealed that a total of 27 SPARTAN-IIs in the Pelican headed for Reach's surface.[9] This puts the number of SPARTAN-IIs present at Reach at 30. This is consistent with Halo: Fall of Reach's number of active SPARTAN-IIs that were said to be present on Reach but again does not take into account of the KIAs, MIAs, or WIAs. The status of SPARTAN-IIs is muddied further in the later novels. For example, Kurt-051 is listed as missing in action presumed dead in 2531 when in reality, he was drafted into the SPARTAN-III Program until his real death in 2552 on Onyx. Three SPARTAN-IIs designated Gray Team were said to have been on "fields of battle too distant to be easily recalled" and apparently had made no contact with the UNSC prior to the Battle of Reach.[10][6]

In Halo Wars' timeline, the feature mentioned that a total of 25 out of 28 surviving SPARTAN-IIs were present at Reach (The absent three SPARTAN-IIs being the members of Grey Team whose status are unknown at the time). This timeline also confirms that five SPARTAN-IIs were no longer in active duty since the augmentation of the SPARTAN-IIs. Samuel-034, Kurt-051, Randall, Sheila and a SPARTAN-II mentioned to be "too wounded to continue active duty" are part of this count. The wounded SPARTAN-II could either be Maria-062, who has retired by the time of 2552, or Cassandra-075, who was listed as as one of the original 75 SPARTAN-IIs conscripted but not marked as one of the twelve to wash out with deformities caused by the augmentations.[11] It should be noted that Samuel-034 died in 2525, and Kurt-051 and Randall went missing in 2531 and 2532 respectively. This does not line up with Halsey's statements about the SPARTAN-IIs that no longer serve because of events between the years of 2542 and 2552. Although Halo Wars' timeline feature appears to clear up the confusion, the plot of the game introduces some discrepancies. In the game, four new SPARTAN-IIs are introduced: Douglas-042, Jerome-092, Alice-130, and Keiichi-047. These SPARTAN-IIs were aboard the Spirit of Fire which was lost with all hands in 2531. To maintain the number given in the timeline, all four of these SPARTAN-IIs would have had to have made their way back to Reach by the time of the battle.

The status of the SPARTAN-IIs is even further skewed by Halo Legends. In this anime series, three SPARTAN-IIs are introduced: Cal-141, Solomon-69 and Arthur-079. All three SPARTAN-IIs are killed in their own respective episodes: Cal-141 is killed by a Jiralhanae Chieftain in The Babysitter, putting her death between 2540 and 2552[12] and Solomon-069 and Arthur-079 are killed in a mission that takes place before 2552 as seen in The Package. This lines up with Halsey's statements about about three SPARTAN-IIs being KIA between 2542 and 2552; however, it still skews the total number of SPARTAN-IIs present at Reach.

If Samuel-034, Randall, Sheila, Kurt-051, Maria-062, Cassandra-075, Douglas-042, Jerome-092, Alice-130, Keiichi-047, Cal-141, Solomon-069, Arthur-079, and the three members of Grey Team are removed from the count of 33 surviving SPARTAN-IIs as previously mentioned in Halo: Fall of Reach, this leaves only 17 SPARTAN-IIs that could have been present at the Battle of Reach.

Bungie, along with Eric S. Trautmann, have said that these discrepancies only seem to be errors and that everything will be made clear in time.[13]

Equipment

Project MJOLNIR

Main article: MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor

The MJOLNIR Armor was created in parallel to the SPARTAN-II project and is the most advanced piece of hardware in human hands; it can provide the SPARTAN-II with an incredible amount of protection and strength. The on-board computer system relays basic tactical information including IFF tags, a Motion Tracker, weapons information and health readouts. The MJOLNIR system is capable of carrying a starship grade A.I which can provide tactical data on the fly.

Specialized Neural Interface

Main article: Spartan Neural Interface

A specialized version of the Neural Interface is implanted into the skull of a SPARTAN-II. This allows a ship grade A.I to be carried on board the MJOLNIR armor. The standard Neural Interface along with the newer specialized version also provide the neural link between the SPARTAN-II and the MJOLNIR armor.

Spartan Augmentation Procedures

Main article: SPARTAN-II Augmentation Procedures

One of the essential and most dangerous aspects of the SPARTAN-II Program is the augmentation procedure that a Spartan must endure. The process consists of many injections and surgeries. Only a small percentage of subjects survive the process and fully recover.

Trivia

  • The Halo Encyclopedia, on page 83, puts forth that Yasmine Zaman was one of the original 150 candidates for the program, and was also one of the 12 to wash out due to the augmentation process. This has muddled whether a Class II of SPARTAN-IIs actually existed. Class II's existence is still up for debate, but no solid evidence has been presented in its favor.
  • The Marines refer to all Navy personnel as Swabbie, including Spartans. However, this has only been observed with John-117.
  • The Spartans are based on the ancient Greeks from Sparta, known for their military might and extreme training regiments. They were, at the time, the greatest infantry fighting force in the world. Similarly, it is also reminiscent of the Turkish Jannisary Corps, where sons of Christian families were taken and trained under strict discipline and in practically monastic conditions. They became the elite fighting force of the Ottoman Empire.
  • In Sparta, to become a warrior the child had to have no mental disability and could not be crippled. Training also began at an early age, usually at the age of 7. This is much like the SPARTAN-II's augmentations and training.
  • The SPARTAN-II Program was incorrectly referred to as the first group of super soldiers ever made by humanity on the back cover of Halo: The Fall of Reach. The SPARTAN-I Program was an element of Project: Orion, which occurred decades earlier.
  • In campaign gameplay, John-117 is the only Spartan that you can control and see. The games refer to him as the last surviving, or sometimes active, Spartan. This contradicts other sources.
  • In Halo Wars, if a Spartan is killed in front of other units of the same team, one may say "They can die!" showing that those units were told the Spartans were invincible. Additionally, some Spartans will say "Yippe-ki-yay" after killing an enemy. This is a reference to Bruce Willis in his popular Die Hard series. Willis' character says this after killing the main boss in each film. Sometimes Spartans will shout, "For Samuel!" during battles in Halo Wars, as a reference to Samuel-034's death on the Covenant ship during the Battle of Chi Ceti 4.
  • The Spartan-II seal resembles the Presidential Seal of the modern day United States. It also has the Marathon symbol above the eagle. The Halo 3 Achievements "UNSC Spartan" and "Spartan Officer" both are represented by the official Spartan-II seal.

Gallery

  • A SPARTAN-II team.

  • Awakening.jpg

    A SPARTAN-II in MJOLNIR Mark V Armor undergoing testing.

  • Masterchiefnobarcode.jpg

    John-117, the most well known SPARTAN-II in the mythology.

  • Frederic-104, Blue Leader and close friend of John.

  • Kelly-087, the fastest SPARTAN-II and close friend of John.

  • Four Spartan-IIs being briefed on a mission.

Sources

  1. ^ Halo PC Strategy Guide Page 2
  2. ^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe Page 42
  3. ^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe Page 55
  4. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx Chapter 2, Page 45
  5. ^ Axon Clips Chapter 12
  6. ^ a b Halo: Ghost of Onyx, page 221
  7. ^ Halo: Fall of Reach, page 240
  8. ^ Halo: First Strike, page 3
  9. ^ Halo: First Strike, Page 7
  10. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 240
  11. ^ Halo Encyclopedia, page 83
  12. ^ The Babysitter - Taylor H. "Dutch" Miles, enlisted in 2540, was present at her death
  13. ^ http://halostory.bungie.org/spartanroster.html

Related Pages

Known Spartan-II candidates
James-005 • Jai-006 • Li-008 • Naomi-010 • Leon-011 • SPARTAN-013 • Kirk-018 • Serin-019 • Daisy-023 • Robert-025 • Riz-028 • Joshua-029 • Vinh-030 • Otto-031 • Samuel-034 • Randall-037 • Isaac-039 • Douglas-042 • William-043 • Anton-044 • Keiichi-047 • Kurt-051 • Jorge-052 • Margaret-053 • Linda-058 • Malcolm-059 • Maria-062 • Sheila-065 • Soren-066 • Solomon-069 • Cassandra-075 • Arthur-079 • René-081 • Fhajad-084 • Kelly-087 • Jerome-092 • Grace-093 • Caleb-095 (not conscripted) • Musa-096 • August-099 • Victor-101 • Ralph-103 • Frederic-104 • Adriana-111 • John-117 • Michael-120 • Joseph-122 • Kai-125 • Oscar-129 • Alice-130 • Vannak-134 • Carris-137 • Cal-141 • Roma-143 • Edgar-150 • Unidentified Spartan • Beta-Romeo Actual • Red-Fifteen • Janissary James (not conscripted) • Nicole-458 • Yasmine Zaman
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The SPARTAN programs and related topics
Training and protocol
Technology
Non-UNSC super soldiers

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