Spartan AJ A312

AJ A-312 Was a SPARTAN-III commando of the UNSC Naval Special Warfare Command, attached to Special Warfare Group Three. Initially Apart of Alpha Company he was amongst the early members to be separated from the rest of the Spartan III cadets to form an elite combat team call sign Sigma Team. He would be transferred back to the main company after the team's destruction on their first mission. ONI would have him transferred once more to lead the new and highly classified Omega Company of Spartan IIIs until the end of the war before being asked to join the Spartan IV program along side several of his old squad mates.

Childhood
AJ was born on the planet Harvest on February 14th 2524. A year later when the Covenant attacked the planet, him and parents escaped the surface and made it to an evacuation ship. His father joined the UNSC military and was later killed in combat during the Harvest Campaign. His mother died later when he was age five during a ship riot. Going into foster care aboard the UNSC ship, ONI picked him up as a candidate for the Spartan III program.

Spartan III Program
In 2531 AJ was brought to Camp Currahee on Onyx to begin training with the 497 other children. Being age 7 he was the oldest student there. During his training AJ excelled at every drill and obstacle. At the end of the first week, he along with fourteen other candidates were taken to a secrete location off site of Camp Currahee. It was with these fourteen other Spartans that he would finish his training with. They were told they had shown special skills and would be known as Sigma Team.

"As we learned more the tests became harder and we had to keep helping each other along. I asked my teacher, "Isn't this cheating, asking friends for help?" He smiled and said. "Asking for help is the test." I didn't get it right away and just took it as a no, but later I understood what he meant."—From Spartan A312 memoirs on training with Sigma Team.

Sigma Team
After Completing their years of training and drills at an accelerated rate, Sigma team proved ready for live combat. Unlike the rest of Alpha Company, the Spartan's of Sigma Team were completed in April of 2535. In June that year they underwent the final phase of their transformation into Spartans. The augmentation process of Project CHRYSANTHEMUM.

Jericho VII
Sigma Team's first live combat mission was to the planet of Jericho VII which was being overran by Covenant forces. The squad of Fourteen Spartans were deployed to an old ship yard to destroy NAV data that was left behind to ensure the Cole Protocol was followed. Though the data was destroyed along with the entire facility, all the Spartans except AJ were killed during the combat. Before his Commander, Collin A301's death, he promoted AJ to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and was ordered to lead the surviving members of Sigma team off the surface and on any further engagements.

Return to Alpha Company
Following the loss of Sigma Team, Spartan A312 was sent back to Onyx to train with the rest of Alpha Company for a year. Being an experienced fighter and having the advantage of his augmentations installed, he became a squad leader and led fire teams and entire operations through drills. Each operation he ran was deemed a complete success. AJ looked at it a different way, in every operation he would lose Spartans. The instructors would find him pouring over military books and debrief reports of his operations and other operations done while he was gone. It wasn't until CPO Mendez confronted him on the subject that AJ learned the burden of command and the hell of war.]

"Soldiers will die, you can't control who it comes to and who it doesn't. You can't save everyone. You just have to make sure their deaths were worth something. Victory."

After a year of training, and Alpha Company graduating in a month, AJ was reassigned to Omega Company as their company leader in 2536.

Spartan Omega Company
In December of 2536 Spartan A312 arrived at the garrison of Omega Company. Though initially met with uncertainty by the other Spartans at this "outsider", their mood quickly changed when they learned they were going to be fighting the Covenant for the first time, and he was the only one in the company who has. Prior to his arrival Spartan A312 was outfitted with the new Semi-Powered Armor Mark II. AJ learned that the members of Omega Company were also outfitted with this new heavy armor.

Battle of Cyrus
On 12/17/2536 the Spartans of Omega Company. descended on the planet to assault a Covenant resource mining operation. It would be the first live operation that Spartan A312 would lead, and the Spartan's first taste of combat against the Covenant. Adopting Spartan Team Saber as his personal squad. The operation was a success with the Covenant mining facility, and resource storage destroyed, along with a CCS-class battlecruiser which was boarded by a Spartan team, though it cost them their lives. The operation had a severe affect on the Spartans as they took many casualties during the fighting.

Battle of New Constantinople
In preparation for their assault on the Covenant Target Unending Glory, the Spartans of Omega Company. were set to rendezvous with an ODST company that would be supporting them at New Constantinople. However on 10/25/2537, a Covenant fleet entered the system and laid siege to the planet. The Spartans were deployed to the surface to help battle the Covenant in the main cities of Cain and Azerbade. After fifteen days of fighting the Spartans and the ODSTs managed to board a Covenant CCS-class battlecruiser which they would use to infiltrate the defenses of Unending Glory. With UNSC reinforcements turning the tide, including the deployment of the newly graduated Spartan III Alpha Company, the battle was turning towards the Covenant's favor the Spartans were forced to flee the planet, leaving it to be glassed.

Battle of Tetanus
The Spartans of Omega Company. were deployed to Tetanus Research Facility by ONI to receive new hardware upgrades to their armor as well as new weapons and equipment. While there, a Covenant fleet arrived in system and attempted to assault the planet. The Spartans were put on defensive operations while the navy successfully fought off the Covenant ships. With the planet's location discovered, the Spartans were ordered by ONI to assist in the evacuation of the test site and it's destruction. Members of the Spartan company were deployed to the orbital station to place demolition charges.

Semi-Powered Armor
During his time with Alpha Company and Sigma Team, Spartan A312 was donned in the Semi-Powered Armor that was standard issue for all Alpha Company Spartans.

Semi-Powered Armor Mark II
In December of 2536, prior to his deployment with Omega Company. , Spartan A312 was issued the new Mark II SPI armor. Given the newest Air Assault class armor, it was the most technologically advanced version of the armor available. The armor is so advanced that when AJ and Omega Company were given the new MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V armor, the scientists merely added the Shield generator to the Mark II SPI armor.

MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V
Issued in 2551 to the survivors of Omega Company, the armor was identical to the Mark II SPI armor with the add on of the armor's shield generator.

MJOLNIR_Powered_Assault_Armor_(GEN2)
Issued to Spartan A312 in 2554 upon his completion into the Spartan-IV ranks. He was given the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/AA variant. The updated version of the same armor he wore as a Spartan III.

Weapons
MA5B Assault RifleThis would be Spartan A312's primary weapon over the course of his career fighting the Covenant during the Human-Covenant war. Its high rate of fire and heavy caliber round made it ideal for fighting heavy shielded enemies.

MA5D Assault Rifle The replacement for the MA5B Assault Rifle, this new weapon sported a smaller clip, but better control making it a fearsome weapon even at medium range.

BR55 Battle Rifle A common weapon used by A312 either as a replacement for his MA5 or as a secondary weapon for heavy combat operations.

BR85 Battle Rifle This weapon was a common sight with AJ A312 alongside the MA5D assault rifle during the Requiem campaign. With many of the enemies on the surface of the planet so heavily armored and shielded, the extra firepower was drastically needed to survive the brutal fire fights.

M6 Magnum Pistol The standard sidearm for all Spartans and UNSC personnel.

M392 Designated Marksman Rifle Used on and off throughout the Human Covenant war, and the second battle for Requiem. AJ's use for the DMR was strictly limited to mission specific parameters. Mostly recon and sniper support operations.

Combat Knife Standard Issue close combat weapon.