Spartan Operations: Difference between revisions

|commanders=*[[Rear Admiral]] [[Musa Ghanem]]<ref name="H5GLtd">'''[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition]]''', ''Spartan Locke's Classified Orders''</ref>

{{Quote|Spartans, like Navy, or Army, or Marines, are UNSC. Spartans are humanity's first line of defense, against threats from within and without. Spartans are what will see us through the darkness ahead and into the dawn beyond.|Commander Musa Ghanem, to a board of UNSC Navy officers<ref name="init3">'''Halo: Initiation''', ''[[Halo: Initiation Issue 3|Issue #3]]''</ref>}}

The [[SPARTAN-IV program]] entered development on [[2552#September|September 20, 2552]],<ref name="GL 422">'''Halo: Glasslands,''' ''page 422''</ref> unknown to Ackerson.<ref name="universe"/> The project was conceived by [[Commander]] [[Musa Ghanem]], a former [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-II]] crippled by the [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|augmentation process]] given an opportunity to relaunch the SPARTAN program. Despite believing that the methodology of the SPARTAN-II program was highly unethical, Musa was also adamant that the Spartans were critical for [[human]]ity's survival and would continue to be so in the following years.<ref name="init1"/> Due to ethical factors, as well as advancements in technology now allowed the [[Human augmentation|augmentation]] of adult subjects without the major risks which necessitated the use of children in the preceding programs, it was decided that future Spartans would be consenting adults, all of whom handpicked for their exceptional service during the war, mainly from [[special operations]] units from across the UNSC.<ref name="HW Story"/><ref name="GL 434">'''Halo: Glasslands,''' ''page 434''</ref> This marked a return to the recruitment methodology of the [[ORION Project]], which had created bio-engineered soldiers to fight the growing [[Insurrection]] in the [[Outer Colonies]] over sixty years earlier. Coincidentally, the Spartan-IVs would come to serve in a similar capacity, fighting resurgent colonial rebellions.<ref name="universe"/>

{{Quote|As of today Spartans stand on their own. Not as Navy or ONI assets. We are our own branch. As of now.|Commander Musa Ghanem, to a council of high-ranked officers at HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6<ref name="init3"/>}}

On [[2553#January|January 7, 2553]], the first class of Spartan-IVs was selected, consisting of 145 candidates.<ref name="universe"/> Spartan-III [[Jun-A266]] was selected as the recruiter for the program, and Jun continued recruitment for the first class until [[2553#February|February 15, 2553]].<ref name="nb50"/><ref>[https://twitter.com/bsangel/status/699269947944382464 '''Twitter''': ''Today in Halo 2/15/2553'']</ref> Although subsequent classes of Spartan-IVs were desirable, the initial class was required to prove itself effective.<ref name="nb50"/> The first class of Spartans began training at several [[War Games]] sites, particularly aboard UNSC ''Infinity''.<ref name="universe"/> In January of 2553, five Spartan-IVs of the program's first class were aboard UNSC ''Infinity'' when Admiral [[Mattius Drake]]'s [[New Colonial Alliance]] [[Raid on UNSC Infinity|boarded]] the ship in the [[Sol system]]'s [[Oort cloud]] and brief commandeered the [[warship]]; the hijacking was led by the [[Ilsa Zane]], a turncoat soldier who was rendered unstable due to experimental Spartan-IV augmentations. The Spartans' repelling of the takeover attempt also exposed Admiral Drake as a traitor. Following the incident, Musa Ghanem announced the establishment of the Spartans as their own distinct branch to a board of UNSC Navy officers at [[HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6]] in [[Sydney]].<ref name="init3"/>

Spartan Operations is an independent, and the most recently established, branch of the [[United Nations Space Command]]'s [[UNSC Armed Forces|Armed Forces]]. As is the state of the [[UNSC Marine Corps]], the Spartan branch is organized under both the [[Unified Ground Command]] and [[UNSC Naval Command]], specifically [[UNSC Fleet Command|Fleet Command]].<ref name="lootcrate1">'''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]''', ''[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #1]]''</ref> Although originally under the jurisdiction of the [[UNSC Navy]], particularly the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]], Spartan quickly evolved into an organization of its own,<ref name="11th hour"/> until then-[[Commander]] [[Musa Ghanem]] went before a board of naval officers and proposed the branch's autonomy.<ref name="init3"/> The success of the first class of Spartan-IVs led to UNSC leadership accepting Musa's proposal. The branch's independence offers them more freedom with its operations.<ref name="nb130"/> Spartan Operations, while technically autonomous, maintains close relationships and often works in collaboration with the Navy and other branches when needed, most often in administrative capacities.<ref name="universe"/> Because of this and the [[SPARTAN programs]]' history, the Spartans are still commonly viewed as a "Navy project" by the UNSC armed forces at large.<ref name="Infinity Briefing">'''[[Halo 4 Limited Edition]]''', ''[[Infinity Briefing Packet]]''</ref> ONI has the ability to requisition the service of Spartan personnel for specific, high-importance [[operation]]s.<ref name="HitD78">'''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''', ''pages 78-79''</ref> For example, when [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-II]] [[Blue Team]] became absent-without-leave, Spartan [[Fireteam Osiris]] was placed under the Navy's [[Logistical Operations Command]] operational command when deployed to retrieve the Spartan-IIs.<ref name="H5GLtd"/> The branch is headed by the [[Chief of Staff (Spartan)|Chief of Staff]] of Spartan Operations; the office is currently held by [[Jun-A266]].<ref name="memories of reach"/> As of [[2558]], Spartan Operations does not hold a seat on the [[UNSC Security Council]], unlike the other four branches of the Armed Forces and even ONI.<ref>'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 1|Issue #1]]''</ref> The branch also maintains the [[Spartan Training and Education]] department.<ref name="lootcrate1"/>

{{Quote|You are Spartans now. You stand side by side with your Spartan brothers and sisters. You march into battle together—you do not charge ahead. You do not grab glory for yourself. Spartans don't have ranks because Spartan is your rank.|Commander Musa Ghanem, addressing Spartan-IV trainees<ref name="init2">'''Halo: Initiation''', ''[[Halo: Initiation Issue 2|Issue #2]]''</ref>}}

Unlike the other four branches of the UNSC, which maintain hierarchical [[UNSC rank structure|rank structures]], all personnel of Spartan Operations are considered equal and lack formal ranks,<ref name="universe"/> a view especially emphasized by [[Rear Admiral]] Musa Ghanem. However, some personnel within the branch wield far more authority than others, with Musa himself a rear admiral and considered the commander of the Spartans.<ref>'''Halo: New Blood''', ''pages 7-8'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Standing and specialization within the Spartan branch is also determined by the personal skill of the individual alone, demonstrated both in combat in the field and in training exercises.<ref name="universe"/> This skill is reflected by "Spartan Rank", which has an alphanumeric value between SR1 and SR130. Spartans who meet or exceed SR50 are allowed to join one of eight wings of the branch known simply as "specializations"; a Spartan's choice of specialization ideally reflects the participant's [[Military Occupational Specialty]], such as engineering or vehicle operation.<ref name="Infinity Briefing"/>