Maria-062

Petty Officer Second Class Maria-062 was a SPARTAN-II of the UNSC Naval Special Warfare Group. She tested the Mark VI armor before it was handed over to John-117. This took place before the events of Halo 2.

Special Warfare Center
Prior to the First Battle of Earth in October 2552, PO2 Maria tested the new MJOLNIR Mark VI Powered Assault Armor in Songnam, Kyonggi Province in Korea.

She fought against a squad of UNSC Marine Shock Troops from the 340th Combat Training Unit in a mock battle near the Special Warfare Center. After the exercise, the Battle armor was approved for battle and was sent up to Orbital Defense Platform ODA-142 Cairo. There, it was issued to Master Chief Petty Officer John-117.

Personal and Family Life
After retiring from active duty from the Navy, Maria started a family and had children. It is possible, due to the Covenant invasion of Earth, that Maria rejoined the active duty force of the UNSC Navy.

Theory and Speculation
In Halo: The Fall of Reach, just as the remaining 30 Spartans are informed of their new mission to bring a Prophet to Earth for interrogation on ending the Human-Covenant War, it is said that out of their 33 that there had only been 3 KIA and 1 SPARTAN too wounded to continue active duty. Since the release of the Halo Graphic Novel, it is widely assumed that Maria is the wounded Spartan mentioned in Halo: The Fall of Reach, but other evidence indicates that Cassandra may be that peculiar wounded Spartan. Then again, Cassandra may have instead been one of the SPARTANS who were crippled after augmentation, with some not even looking Human anymore after the effects. Fhajad was also crippled after augmentation.

Trivia

 * Maria-062 is the only inducted SPARTAN-II that has been seen without a helmet or protective cover on.
 * Maria is the only known Spartan-II that retired.
 * It should be noted that the UNSC would not just let a soldier who's training and augmentations had cost the Navy a considerable amount of money and research, quit in the middle of a rebellion with Insurrectionists and a war with a race of overly religious xenocidal aliens, simply because she wanted to start a family.
 * Maria-062 is one the few survivng Spartan-IIs.