Spartan Operations
Spartan Operations, also referred to as the Spartan branch or simply the Spartans, is the newest branch of the UFN Armed Forces, organized under both UFN Naval Command and the UFN Ground Command. The branch is responsible for the command of special operations undertaken by all Spartan-Vs, with previous Spartan programs integrated into their ranks. Although Spartan Operations has autonomy from the other four branches of the Armed Forces, the Spartans closely collaborate with the UFN Army and share assets with the Marine Corps and Navy. Additionally, they are excluded from FLEETCOM and Ground Command under UNSC DIR 1100.D9 and 6899.01, respectively. The branch was established in 2553, shortly after the end of the apocalyptic Human-Covenant War, a time which saw a dramatic increase in the numbers of Spartan supersoldiers upon the activation of the SPARTAN-V program. The operations conducted by these Spartans are collectively referred to as the Spartan Ops program.
Spartan Operations was created to serve as the most elite infantry force used by the United Federation of Nations, serving as a joint special operations branch that often undertakes missions involving unconventional warfare. The primary mission of the branch is to secure peace throughout Federation space using elite soldiers to quell threats and other hostile factors. With the end of the Human-Covenant War, Spartan Operations played a large role in combating the hostile Covenant remnants to protect the colonies and citizens of the UFN, while also aiding other allied factions, such as the Swords of Sanghelios. In addition, the Spartan branch also combated insurrectionist factions with the continuing Insurrection, most notably the United Rebel Front and New Colonial Alliance.
With the branch's activation in 2553, some of the UFN's most prominent and effective personnel have been assigned to specialized combat and intelligence gathering teams, such as Fireteam Osiris. These teams are composed of highly proficient operators with varied skills to provide them with significant flexibility in carrying out their assigned missions. Such teams carry out challenging operations directly under the UFN High Command and Olympus Council.
Personnel of Spartan Operations are biologically and cybernetically enhanced, heavily armored human supersoldiers. The Spartan branch recruits adults from across all of UFN's colonies. A majority of the Spartan branch's personnel are Spartan-Vs. A handful of Spartans serve in the branch in administrative roles; these include the branch's creator Musa-096; Jun-A266, former sniper of NOBLE Team; and the two Beta Company survivors, Tom-B292 and Lucy-B091, who served as instructors for Spartan-VV recruits between 2553 and 2554.Some Spartans, such as Jared Miller, also serve as mission handlers for Spartan detachments.
Spartan-Vs of the branch undergo augmentation procedures involving gene therapies, artificial organ implants, and cybernetic enhancements. Each augmentation is custom-tailored to each individual Spartan. Most of these augmentations are irreversible, and only a handful of personnel within the UFN have truly considered the future impact these men and women will have when they leave military service and re-enter civilian life. There also exists developing concerns relating to the possibility of potentially unstable, partially augmented retired Spartans that lack the training and support available to former Spartan personnel.
Composition
Equipment
Spartans of the branch are equipped with the third generation of the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor. GEN3 Mjolnir integrates the vast majority of the armor's vital hardware systems within the inner techsuit itself, allowing for more streamlined production and easier implementation of specialized subsystems and armatures. The armor is built to incorporate many attachments, such as jetpacks and active camouflage. As the Spartan-Vs have less extensive biological augmentations, the GEN3 armor boosts its operator's reactions, speed, and strength to a greater degree than the first-generation Mjolnir. Spartans are occasionally entrusted and deployed with advanced Federal Intelligence Ministry technology, such as the Artemis Tracking System.
Spartans do not have their own armored vehicles, aerospace craft, or slipspace-capable transports; they rely on the UFN Navy for interstellar deployment and have arrangements with the Marine Corps and Army to loan their assets when necessary. However, several weapons have been specifically designed for use within Spartan Operations and are rarely seen outside the branch, such as Chalybs Defense Solutions' Hydra MLRS. The M395 DMR was also manufactured specifically for use within the Spartan branch, though the rifle has also seen use among other UFN branches.
Structure
Spartan Operations is an independent, and the most recently established, branch of the United Federation of Nations Armed Forces. As is the state of the UFN Marine Corps, the Spartan branch is organized under both the Unified Ground Command and UFN FLEETCOM. Although originally under the jurisdiction of the UFN Navy, particularly the Office of Naval Intelligence, Spartan quickly evolved into an organization of its own, until then-Commander Musa Ghanem went before a board of naval officers and proposed the branch's autonomy. The success of the first class of Spartan-Vs led to UFN leadership accepting Musa's proposal. The branch's independence offers them more freedom with its operations. 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. Because of this and the SPARTAN programs' history, the Spartans are still commonly viewed as a "Navy project" by the UFN armed forces at large. FIM has the ability to requisition the service of Spartan personnel for specific, high-importance operations. For example, when 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. The branch is headed by the Chief of Staff of Spartan Operations; the office is currently held by Jun-A266. The branch also maintains the Spartan Training and Education department.
Spartan personnel are typically organized into fireteams, consisting of five or four Spartans, led by a Spartan designated as team leader. Most Spartan combat units are composed of personnel which would complement each other's skillsets and abilities, mitigating any individual deficiencies. Some Spartans operate in smaller or even individual units. All detachments of Spartans operate under a Spartan Commander. The Spartan branch has a dedicated facility on Mars, where personnel undergo their augmentations.
Spartan Operations retains the Spartan-IIIs' Headhunters program, though it has since undergone various changes and adjustments to its structure. The program now consists of a select list of Spartan-III, Spartan-IV, and Spartan-Vs operatives that are deployed in either single or two-person teams.
Unlike the other branches of the UFN Armed Forces, which maintain hierarchical rank structures, all personnel of Spartan Operations are considered equal and lack formal ranks, 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. 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. 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.
With no formal rank structure, each Spartan of the branch is given the informal rank of "Spartan". Each Spartan detachment is under the authority of a Spartan Commander; for example, Edward Buck formerly served as Spartan Commander of the detachment aboard UFN Meriwether Lewis, while Sarah Palmer continues to serve as Spartan Commander of the Spartans of UFN Infinity. Despite being the ranking Spartan on the ship, Palmer deferred to the Master Chief while he was aboard during the Battle of Requiem with the Master Chief effectively acting as the ranking Spartan during this time. While "Commander" is often used to address a Spartan detachment's overall leader, this merely refers to their administrative role instead of being a formal rank and the Commander is technically equal in rank to their subordinates.
Training
Directly after augmentations, Spartan personnel immediately begin their training. One of the training facilities used by the branch was a secret, dedicated space station orbiting an otherwise unimportant dwarf planet. In training, an important emphasis is placed on breaking the bad habits the older or more experienced personnel may have built over the years of their service, as well as giving the Spartans practice with their newly acquired augmentations. The training also serves to teach the Spartans to work together among each other as equals. The Spartans are trained by drill instructors hand-picked by FIM. Captain O'Day was the drill instructor that trained the second class of Spartans. As part of the training, the Spartans compete in War Games simulations and are pitted against automated weaponry—that utilize non-lethal, yet still painful, ammunition—guided by the UFN's sharpest combat veterans. All Spartans receive training on how to use jetpacks in-atmosphere. Spartans of the first class also faced off against UFN Marines armed with weapons using stun rounds, in which the Spartans had to navigate and complete an obstacle course. After the Spartans completed training, they were then allowed to select their armor. The training of the Spartans is overseen by the branch's Spartan Training and Education department. After the initial training, Spartans are expected to continue practicing and remain combat-ready by participating in War Games, competitive combat training simulations that utilize holography and millions of pneumatic risers. Wars Games allows Spartans to compete among each other in various game modes and simulations based off of numerous locations or events, thus allowing the Spartans to train and prepare for similar situations. UFN Infinity hosts a massive War Games combat deck for the Spartans, as do other modern warships. Space stations—such as Anvil Station and the Munera Platforms—and terrestrial military bases are also home to War Games facilities.
Several Spartan-IIs have also assisted with the training of the personnel of the Spartan branch. The ANVIL initiative indicates a number of very select joint training engagements between Spartans of the branch and Sangheili of Arbiter Thel 'Vadam's Swords of Sanghelios aboard Anvil Station.
Logistics
Recruitment
Individuals are recruited into the branch based on their achievements and skills as soldiers in other branches of service. Spartan candidate recommendations are made from commanding officers directly to recruiter Jun-A266. Each candidate for the Spartan branch is heavily screened, both career military veterans and younger soldiers who demonstrate promising careers. After passing a rigorous series of tests, the candidate is given the non-compulsory option of enlisting in the branch and undergoing Spartan-V augmentations. Each recommended candidate is meticulously examined by Jun and Musa with the aid of a dedicated, cutting-edge artificial intelligence, as well as a thorough background check and a physiological evaluation. The candidate's communications records and past associations are also examined.
However, pure combat proficiency is not the only requirement for admission into the Spartans. Olympia Vale was recruited into the branch, despite having minimal field experience. This is due to stellar combat scores in training exercises and her great diplomatic skills, as well as high recommendations from ONI. Additionally, Anthony Madsen, who had previously served an undistinguished career in the UFN Marine Corps, was admitted into the branch because of the recommendations of his father and grandfather, both generals in the Marines.
UFN Armed Forces retirees can also be enlisted in Spartan Operations under a recommendation regardless of how long they have been retired. Taylor Miles and Gretchen Ketola, both former ODSTs that were retired for years, re-enlisted as Spartans.
Type
Special Forces
Founding
2553
Overall training Level
Elite
Assumed Veterancy
Decorated/Honored
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