SPARTAN-II Conscription and Training (2517—2525)[]
Early Operations (2525—2531)[]
"Blue Team has, for the past six years, displayed a high degree of dexterity in their performance as SPARTAN-IIs. And they are noted to be quite close to each other and display no signs of the flaws ONI had predicted every Spartan team would have. But while they serve well as supersoldiers, I believe there is something missing among them. Something that has been missing ever since the death of SPARTAN-034 in 2525. What they need is a reminder that in spite of all they've given up on their own account, even Spartans are humans and deserve to be treated as such; something I think even John has forgotten to keep in mind these last few years. When this war ends, I don't want my best Spartans to be lost, confused killing machines with no prospect of their own futures. I want them to have a luxury I've denied even myself; a good friend. And I think SPARTAN-051 is the perfect candidate for the job."
―Extract from Dr. Halsey's journal, April 14th, 2531
"So we're getting stuck with Mr. Social Skills, huh? And here I thought Dr. Halsey would let us do our jobs in peace."