Spartan Program
The Spartan Program is a program to create perfect soldiers by means of Genetic augmentation, and by the programs second incarnation, abducting genetically specific children at the ages of 6 for Spartan II's and 5-11 for Spartan III's , giving them military special forces grade training and education, and augmenting them at the age of fourteen. The augmentation process has a high mortality rate. Almost half of the Spartan II that were augmented would "Wash Out", which means die or gain physical or mental deformities. But those who did survive the program had greatly enhanced sight, strength, had nearly unbreakable bones, improved cardiovascular system, faster lactate acid recovery time and 300% reaction time improvement. There were two successful projects. The Spartan II's, which were by all means super soldiers, and Spartan III's. The III's were meant to be cheaper and easier to train. But they ended up just being traded for time. Some Spartan III engagements ended with a 100% casualty rate, but were still considered successful missions by ONI and HIGHCOM.
If nothing else, the Spartans are Force multipliers by just showing up. The UNSC has turned them into a myth of sorts, stating things like "Spartans never die, they're just missing in action." The whole legend of this, coupled with actually seeing their ferocity in combat, gives the illusion that when you have a Spartan backing you, you can defeat anyone. Now, sadly, this isn't entirely true. Often times, even with Spartans backing them, the UNSC were defeated. But the covenant never left any survivors. So the legend lived on. By the end of the war though, one such truth in this legend had emerged. The Master Chief.
If nothing else, the Spartans are Force multipliers by just showing up. The UNSC has turned them into a myth of sorts, stating things like "Spartans never die, they're just missing in action." The whole legend of this, coupled with actually seeing their ferocity in combat, gives the illusion that when you have a Spartan backing you, you can defeat anyone. Now, sadly, this isn't entirely true. Often times, even with Spartans backing them, the UNSC were defeated. But the covenant never left any survivors. So the legend lived on. By the end of the war though, one such truth in this legend had emerged. The Master Chief.