Ned Rich

Rear Admiral Rich was a high ranking ONI officer in 2531. He was the Covert Operations commander of section three, in charge of every field operation by ONI save the Spartan-II project of Dr. Catherine Halsey. He was born in the 2490's but his hair had turned grey before he was 40 years old.

He was opposed to Spartan-II and Halsey because the project had achieved a level of sucess he never could have with his own projects. In 2531, he, Captain Gibson, and Vice Admiral Margaret O. Parangosky met with Colonel James Ackerson aboard the UNSC Point of No Return to discuss the creaton of project Spartan-III. Rich approved. In 2537, Rich and Parangosky authorized Beta Company to be created following the death of all Alpha Company Spartan-IIIs in Operation: PROMETHEUS.