Infinity Briefing Packet

The Infinity Briefing Packet is a booklet handed out to SPARTAN-IV personnel upon assignment to. This page describes the briefing packet received by Spartan Gabriel Thorne on February 6, 2558. Thorne wrote a journal entry to the last page of the booklet, describing his thoughts on his new status as a Spartan and the little history the supersoldiers had.

Contents

 * Formal welcome by Infinity Spartan Commander, Sarah Palmer (accompanied by an informal, handwritten note by Palmer on the preceding page)
 * UNSC Infinity schematic and information
 * Aft Armory Notice with basic information on several weapons (MA5D assault rifle, BR85HB battle rifle, ARC-920 railgun, M739 SAW, M395 DMR, SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle, M363 sticky detonator)
 * Instructions for Spartan-IVs aboard Infinity by Chief Mechanized Repair Officer Gordon Kushner
 * Spartan Specialist recruitment briefing by Commander Palmer
 * Ship R&R opportunity schedule
 * Gabriel Thorne's journal entry

Accompanying items

 * Briefing sheet for Fireteam Majestic's first mission on Requiem on February 8, 2558
 * Restricted ONI message from Margaret Parangosky to Dr. Catherine Halsey, found on Infinity intraship network by Spartan Hoya
 * War Games session summary
 * Gabriel Thorne's MJOLNIR GEN2 requisition sheet

FROM THE DESK OF CHIEF MECHANIZED REPAIR OFFICER GORDON KUSHNER, UNSC INFINITY
All Spartan-IV-class operatives must take the following measures in order to maintain their bodies' healthfulness following their participation in the Spartan-IV Augmentation Program:

CARE FOR ARMOR a. All Spartan-IV Armor care is performed on S-Deck in the Armor Bay by qualified Class-61 Techs. Spartan-IVs are never to attempt any care or maintenance of the armor themselves.

b. Each set of Spartan-IV Armor can be outfitted with modifications that enhance the base functionality. Spartans can requisition mods based on mission needs or personal combat ability.

c. Individual armor pieces can be requisitioned for each Spartan based on mission need, but selecting based purely on cosmetic desires is discouraged. Any customization of armor color must conform to UNSC Equipment Code Rule 20.00.62.

EXERCISE a. Standard UNSC PT practices should still be followed. However, due to physical augmentations, basic gym equipment should be considered unsafe for use. All exercise must be performed only on Spartan-IV-class, operative-approved equipment, locked in the S-Deck Armor Bay.

SLEEP a. Spartan-IV-class operatives can expect to perform optimally with a minimum of two-and-one-half hours of sleep per forty-eight (48) hour cycle.

b. Cryosleep best practices for UNSC personnel are applicable to Spartan-IVs as well.

DIET a. All Spartan-IV-class operatives will consume meals only from the designated Mess Hall aboard Infinity. Spartan-IV meals are specially prepared with two guidelines in mind to meet the specific needs of each individual.
 * i. Each Spartan-IV has different caloric needs based on activity data gathered by his or her individual physiometer.
 * ii. Each Spartan-IV requires different levels of vitamins, nutritional supplements, and ancillary medications to aid in continued physiological well-being and reduce risk of future implant rejections.

CONTINUED MEDICAL CARE a. Before and after each sortie, Spartan-IV-class operatives shall report to S-Deck Armor bay for physiological scans, reviews, and treatment.

SHIP R&R OPPORTUNITY SCHEDULE
Greetings, all Infinity crew members! The following dates are a great time for you to plan your R&R. Please clear all requests for time off with your supervising officers at least 14 days in advance. Note that all events are subject to change should Infinity's operations require.

Thorne's journal entry
Feb 6 '58 ''I’m a Spartan now, after months of surgery and training just so I could survive using the armor. So here I am, sitting on Infinity, sore as hell from the War Games runs today. Commander Palmer says we’re on the line at 0500, but wouldn't say what to expect. I learned in the Army that when somebody high up wants you ready, but won’t tell you why, it means a fight is coming.'' ''I was reading up on how, 500 years ago, a military group called the “Air Force” split off the Army to form its own branch. It got me thinking about how little Spartan history there is. I can tell you that Carl Spaatz was the Air Force’s first Chief of Staff. But when I try to find out where 117 came from, there’s nothing. Not his real name, or how he trained. I can’t even find out for sure if there were other S-IIs. Some say there were, but others say the Master Chief was the only one.'' It’s almost as hard to piece together the story of the Spartan-IIIs—just a few mentions from around when the Covenant hit Reach. ''Us, though, the Spartan-IVs - we’re official as can be. Like with Infinity, the UNSC press corps can’t enough of talking about how we’re the best of the best. But even then, there are rumors. Where we’re stationed. How we’re recruiting more to build our forces. ''Maybe someday, when I’m retired, I’ll tell the real story of the Spartan-IVs. And I’ll tell everyone how damn proud I felt tonight, here, on Infinity.''

Trivia

 * A real-world facsimile of the Infinity Briefing Packet was included in the Halo 4 Limited Edition, similar to Dr. Halsey's personal journal that shipped with the special editions of Halo: Reach.
 * In his journal entry, Thorne writes about the United States Air Force in a manner that suggests he is unfamiliar with the concept of such an armed service, even though the UNSC maintains a branch of the same name. However, he may be writing from a nostalgic point of view (reflecting on the USAF's influence on the UNSC Air Force) given how his comments on the Air Force contrast with his remarks about the Spartans. His uncertainty about whether John-117 was the only SPARTAN-II is harder to justify in light of ONI Section II's promotion of the SPARTAN-IIs' existence beginning in 2547; however, he may have mistaken the other SPARTAN-IIs for SPARTAN-IIIs as the latter often allowed credit for their actions to pass to their publicly avowed counterparts for the sake of secrecy.