Bungie Universe
This topic has moved here: Subject: On SPARTANS and their Careers
  • Subject: On SPARTANS and their Careers
Subject: On SPARTANS and their Careers

*Ported this question into the Universe forum after incorrectly posting in The Flood forum. Thanks for politely pointing me into the right direction, chronicaddict420, Nero Lord, and shadowknight566. :)*

After listening to Jorge say something witty in campaign around the lines of "This is why they pay us the big bucks," it prodded my mind to come up with these questions:

1) Are SPARTANS paid?
2) If SPARTANS are paid, do they eventually retire?
3) If SPARTANS eventually retire, what else would they be doing in their free-time?

I'm curious to see. It's hard to view someone having a military "career" if they were kidnapped early in their childhood and trained and augmented to become the ultimate super-soldier whose sole purpose in life is to kill things. Then again, SPARTANS would play a mean game of darts if they retired.

  • 08.17.2011 10:22 PM PDT

"I may not be perfect, but always been true."

Nope, they do not get paid as they have been in the military since they were children, they are essentially tools of the government, although Maria did managed to retire somehow to start a family.

  • 08.17.2011 10:25 PM PDT

Take what you can, give nothing back

--Fyrestarter

Well, they are in the military a la Master Chief John 117; Master Chief = E-9 in the Navy. So one would assume they were paid. But then one would ask, what do they even need money for? Everything is supplied to them as they wish it. As far as retiring, you have to live long enough to retire.

  • 08.17.2011 10:27 PM PDT

Take what you can, give nothing back

--Fyrestarter


Posted by: RKOSNAKE
Nope, they do not get paid as they have been in the military since they were children, they are essentially tools of the government, although Maria did managed to retire somehow to start a family.


Did not know the Maria bit. Interesting.

  • 08.17.2011 10:28 PM PDT

"I may not be perfect, but always been true."


Posted by: FYRE 300

Posted by: RKOSNAKE
Nope, they do not get paid as they have been in the military since they were children, they are essentially tools of the government, although Maria did managed to retire somehow to start a family.


Did not know the Maria bit. Interesting.


She was the one that tested the Mark VI armor before it was given to John.

  • 08.17.2011 10:30 PM PDT

Take what you can, give nothing back

--Fyrestarter


Posted by: RKOSNAKE

Posted by: FYRE 300

Posted by: RKOSNAKE
Nope, they do not get paid as they have been in the military since they were children, they are essentially tools of the government, although Maria did managed to retire somehow to start a family.


Did not know the Maria bit. Interesting.


She was the one that tested the Mark VI armor before it was given to John.


Very nice, which book? Fall of Reach?

  • 08.17.2011 10:31 PM PDT

"I may not be perfect, but always been true."


Posted by: FYRE 300

Posted by: RKOSNAKE

Posted by: FYRE 300

Posted by: RKOSNAKE
Nope, they do not get paid as they have been in the military since they were children, they are essentially tools of the government, although Maria did managed to retire somehow to start a family.


Did not know the Maria bit. Interesting.


She was the one that tested the Mark VI armor before it was given to John.


Very nice, which book? Fall of Reach?


The Halo Graphical Novel: Armor testing.

  • 08.17.2011 10:33 PM PDT

I know that SPARTANs are often utilized in operations considered suicidal or impossible for any other military asset (meaning the survival rate for SPARTANs is regrettably low), but I'm not quite certain that every single SPARTAN died in the field of duty. Assuming that a SPARTAN is skilled or lucky enough to survive to a point where age becomes a factor in their performance, would the military discharge the SPARTAN or keep him/her in other military roles, such as desk jobs in ONI or trainers for new SPARTANs and/or other military pupils?

  • 08.17.2011 10:34 PM PDT

Take what you can, give nothing back

--Fyrestarter


Posted by: RKOSNAKE

The Halo Graphical Novel: Armor testing.


I did not know that, nor do I have that one. Thanks for the heads up, I'll be procuring that soon :)

  • 08.17.2011 10:37 PM PDT

Take what you can, give nothing back

--Fyrestarter


Posted by: Fusiox
I know that SPARTANs are often utilized in operations considered suicidal or impossible for any other military asset (meaning the survival rate for SPARTANs is regrettably low), but I'm not quite certain that every single SPARTAN died in the field of duty. Assuming that a SPARTAN is skilled or lucky enough to survive to a point where age becomes a factor in their performance, would the military discharge the SPARTAN or keep him/her in other military roles, such as desk jobs in ONI or trainers for new SPARTANs and/or other military pupils?


Well I know the failed SPARTANS were all given desk jobs, due to the whole radical transformation severely -blam-=ing them up and all. I couldn't begin to fathom a SPARTAN doing the whole retirement home with a government pension check thing......Chief playing shuffleboard.....

[Edited on 08.17.2011 10:40 PM PDT]

  • 08.17.2011 10:39 PM PDT

1. Good question. The UNSC takes care of their own and if a Spartan decides to retire I'm sure the UNSC will make sure they live in a comfortable position with a stead income. I doubt they'd just forget about them after all they've done. I'm not sure if they get paid during the years they are active as I doubt with their usefulness will get a few months shore leave every once in a while.

2. The only Spartan to have retired is Maria and it's stated she wanted to try to start a family however we don't know if her reasons for retiring is just that or if she had some sort of injury that forced her to retire. I doubt any Spartan that can still operate Mjolnir and fight would retire. Spartans like John, Kelly and would rather fight until they die.

3. Running underground Grunt Fighting Rings. Place your bets, give each grunt a paddle, get drunk off your ass, enjoy the show. It's either that or they'd likely do non combat roles in the UNSC like training marines, test weapons, work in navigation, become a physicist or something like that. They are technically geniuses after all.

[Edited on 08.17.2011 10:45 PM PDT]

  • 08.17.2011 10:44 PM PDT

Take what you can, give nothing back

--Fyrestarter


Posted by: Sniffy66

3. Running underground Grunt Fighting Rings. Place your bets, give each grunt a paddle, get drunk off your ass, enjoy the show. It's either that or they'd likely do non combat roles in the UNSC like training marines, test weapons, work in navigation, become a physicist or something like that. They are technically geniuses after all.


Lol'd at this hard.

  • 08.17.2011 10:46 PM PDT