User:FightWithHonor/ONI Field Operations Team 97

"Here comes the cavalry"

- ONI 97's motto.

{{Quote|Okay, the next guy who calls us the "four-three bunch" gets it.|SSgt. Gabriel Vincent]]

Overview
One of the elite ONI Field Operations Teams, ONI Field Operations Team 97 served with distinction as the "eyes, ears, and sword" of the Office of Naval Intelligence. It participated in a wide variety of missions against a wide variety of foes, and proved to be the master of virtually every situation it faced. Although ultimately destroyed in the Necros Wars, its contributions to the preservation of Humanity's very existence were vastly out of proportion with its small size.

Training
The training of ONI Field Operations Team member took place in two parts: a ten week initial qualification course and a second, far longer, course intended to instruct those who passed the initial test in the skills of an ONI operative.

Phase 1: Qualification Course: Intensive yet brief, this course was intended to wash out those unsuitable for the rigors of life as a an ONI Field operative.


 * Week 1 Basic physical training, intended to allow intructors to get a feel how best to push the candidates.
 * Week 2-4 Intensive physical training
 * Week 5 Zero-g training, conducted aboard a space UNSC vessel.
 * Week 6-7 Water exercises, including long open-water swims.
 * Week 8 "Hell Week." This exercise simluates a week-long military operation, and trainees are given only a few hours during the entire period to rest. Sleep is forbidden.
 * Week 9 Largely intended to allow the surviving trainees to recuperate from Hell Week, these days ar elargely given over to obstacle course exercises.
 * Week 10 Final skills and physcial tests. Graduation.

Phase 2: Advanced Skills and Operations Training: Lasting up to a year, this longer course instructed future ONI Field Operations Team members in the advanced skills required to succeed in the unforgiving environment of special operations.

Among the topics covered in this course were:


 * Basic linguistic training in both Covenant and Earth languages.
 * Vehicle qualification and instruction on every light and heavy ground vehicle in the UNSC and Covenant arsenal.
 * Weapons qualification on every infantry weapon used by the UNSC, and many utilized by the Covenant.
 * Communications
 * Orbital drop
 * Airborne/airmobile training
 * Insertion tactics
 * Fieldcraft
 * Physical conditioning
 * Hand-to-hand combat
 * Infantry tactics
 * Marksmanship
 * Survival training
 * Intelligence gathering
 * Recon
 * Personal Body Armor Systems training

Phase 3: UNSC Marine Corps Assault Training School:

Personnel
In order to be eligible for any ONI Field Operations Team, a UNSC member must have at least seven years of service as an enlisted man or five years as an officer, hold E-4 rank or above, hold qualification as a specialist in an area such as linguistics, signals, or marksmanship, and pass a demanding ten week-long physical and combat skills test. After this comes the demanding 5 month to 1 year training process. Only once these qualifications have been met can the aspiring candidate be considered an ONI field operative. These rigorous requirements mean that only the best Marines and sailors can be found in even the smallest ONI Field Ops Team.

Unlike most other ONI Field Operations Teams, ONI 43 being the most notable, ONI 97 was composed largely of UNSC Marine Corps personnel, a fact brought about

1st. Lt. Martin Hansen, CO

2nd. Lt., XO