Editing Beta-5 Division

{{Status|Canon}}
The '''Beta-5 Division''' is a cell of the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]'s [[Office of Naval Intelligence#Section Three|Section Three]]. Like its parent section, the Beta-5 Division is often responsible for the development and application of top-secret, morally questionable projects. The cell is so secretive that few [[UNSC]] personnel, including those within ONI, are aware of its existence.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page ??''</ref><ref name="EVG">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 133''</ref>

== Overview ==
The Beta-5 Division was charged with operating the [[SPARTAN-III program]] prior to the implementation of the [[Spartan branch]], though many SPARTAN-IIIs were placed under the operational command of other services.<ref>'''Halo: Reach'''</ref><ref>'''[[Noble Team performance reports]]'''</ref><ref>'''Halo: The Essential Visual Guide''', ''pages 29, 62, 101, 103-105, 130, 139, 165''</ref> The Beta-5 Division also operates the [[Asymmetrical Action Group]], which was created late in the [[Human-Covenant War]] in order to disrupt, disarm, and dissolve [[Covenant]] operations. Though the group was initially composed of unconventional warfare veterans, it eventually recruited Spartans into its ranks; the Beta-5 Division contracted [[Chalybs Defense Solutions]] to create a [[OPERATOR-class Mjolnir|specialized MJOLNIR variant]] for the AAG's Spartan operators.{{Ref/Reuse|EVG}}<ref name="Armory">'''Halo: Reach''' - ''The Armory''</ref> Beta-5 also operated the [[Ferret]] program overseen by [[Serin Osman|Rear Admiral Serin Osman]].<ref>''[[Halo: Fractures]]'', "[[A Necessary Truth]]" (''"In fact, Serin Osman—the ONI admiral in charge of the Ferret program—was so concerned about the situation that she had warned Veta they might need to rethink building the team around Spartans."'')</ref><ref name="serin retribution">''[[Halo: Retribution]]'', Chapter 2 (''"Osman was the current head of the Beta-5 Division of Section Three operations, which ran the SPARTAN programs and most of ONI’s other black ops..."'')</ref>

The helmet used by Beta-5 [[Military police|security forces]], which is derived from the standard [[CH252 helmet]], is a shared asset among the branches of the UNSC and has also been adopted as a [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V(MP)|MJOLNIR variant]].{{Ref/Reuse|Armory}}

The Beta-5 Division possesses extremely sophisticated decryption facilities.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 55''</ref>

By [[2553#December|December 2553]], prior to her ascension to the role of [[CINCONI]], Rear Admiral Serin Osman served as the head of the Beta-5 Division.{{Ref/Reuse|serin retribution}} Dr. [[Henry Glassman]] was integrated into Beta-5's experimental research group for his work in astrophysics and quantum theory.<ref>'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 25''</ref>

== Operational history ==
During the [[Battle of Earth]], Doctor [[Veronica Clayton]] interrogated [[Frederic-104]], questioning his decisions during the [[Fall of Reach|defense of Reach]], suggesting that his mistakes had damaged the Spartans' ability to adequately defend the planet. The interrogation was interrupted by a furious [[Terrence Hood|Fleet Admiral Hood]], and over her protests that he had no authority over Beta-5 protocol he ordered Blue Team to deploy to Earth's surface to take part in operations.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''2010 Edition''</ref>

In [[2552]] prior to the destruction of [[SWORD Base]], the Beta-5 Division recovered Dr. [[Catherine Halsey]]'s [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal|personal journal]] and immediately declared it top secret. 

Two months after the [[New Phoenix Incident]] and [[Cortana]]'s supposed death, a Beta-5 operative known as [[Sapphire Three]] interviewed [[John-117]] regarding his interactions with the [[AI]] in late [[2552]].<ref name="DD">'''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]''', ''[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #9]]''</ref>

At somepoint, the Beta-5 operative who possessed the journal, as well as several artifacts pertaining to Spartan [[NOBLE Team]], died; [[unidentified Beta-5 Division operative|one of this operative's subordinates]] sent these contents in [[2610|January 2610]] to his cousin, a fellow Beta-5 operative. He warned his cousin about the dangers that possessing the artifacts could cause, as some individuals within Beta-5 Division would be willing to kill to keep their existence a secret.<ref>''[[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition]]'' - [[:File:Journal Classified.jpg|journal classification seal]]</ref><ref>''Halo: Reach Legendary Edition'' - [[:File:Journal Package Letter.jpg|package contents letter]]</ref><ref>''Halo: Reach Legendary Edition'' - [[:File:Journal Note.jpg|journal note]]</ref>

== List of appearances ==
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{Fm}}
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[Headhunters (short story)|Headhunters]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Retribution]]'' {{Mo}}

== Sources ==
{{Ref/Sources}}

==See also==
*[[Beta-3 Division]]

[[Category:Office of Naval Intelligence]]