Kores Van Schalkwyk

"One of the many legendary Gunners that walked the halls of the 105th. Helped rebuild the Shock Troops Training Center manual to create better ODSTs. KIA on Midirem leading a counterassault against Covenant positions."

- 105th Shock Troops Division Black Book excerpt on Kores Van Schalkwyk.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kores Van Schalkwyk was a retired UNSC Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer and Office of Naval Intelligence contractor who served in the ORION Project. He was killed during the Battle of Miridem while serving as a Subject Matters Expert for Section One in the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Military career
Enlisting into the UNSC Marine Corps at 17 years of age in 2484, Kores was assigned to a Fleet Anti-Terrorism Support Company in the 23rd Marine Corps Security Forces Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - FLEETCOM Sector One as a Marine Corps Security Forces Guard. He served as a fireteam member, fireteam assistant team leader, and fireteam leader. After four years, he was assigned to 42nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company of the 42nd Marine Expeditionary Force in a Firepower Control Team where he served as a Joint Fires Observer Chief Sergeant. After three years of serving in the 42nd ANGLICO, he tried out for the 105th Shock Troops Division in 2491. Kores went on to join the 105th Space Assault Battalion as a Combat Element Team Leader. While he was attached to the 95th Marine Expeditionary Unit as a member of the ODST Special Purpose Force, Kores was recruited into the Office of Naval Intelligence, Section Three as a member of the ORION Project in 2494.

In 2494, Kores took a temporary detachment duty in Naval Special Weapons to serve in the ORION Project. After completing the ORION Assessment and Selection, Augmentation Program, and NAVSPECWAR Sniper School, he deployed as an assistant team leader and later team leader of Nero Team to Eridanus II. By 2500, he completed the UNSC Marine Corps Warrant Officer School, and given the rank Chief Warrant Officer Two, Kores was assigned to the ORION Project as an Infantry Weapons Officer. He served as a technical expert and training chief in the ORION Training Center till 2509. After being promoted to Chief Warrant Officer Three, he was assigned to the 23rd Marine Corps Security Forces Regiment School, where he oversaw the training of Marine Corps Security Forces Guards and implemented an up-to-date close quarters battle manual. Kores then took a position at the 63rd Reconnaissance Training Company in 2512 as a technical chief who oversaw the training of UNSC Marine Corps Reconnaissance Marines. He then served in the UNSC Marine Corps Scout Sniper Course of the 63rd Reconnaissance Training Company and helped rewrite the Sniper Course training manual till 2514.

By 2515, Kores was assigned to the 105th Shock Troops Division, 105th Shock Troops Training Center as a Chief Warrant Officer Four where he oversaw the training of all ODSTs. He went on to help recreate the ODST Training, loosely based on the ORION Training Center and began implementing a new Individual Training Course as well as opening the door to more Advanced Training. He taught the ODST Advanced Scout Sniper Course for five years and served as a Marine Corps Liaison to the NAVSPECWAR Sniper School - Reach till his retirement. In 2524, Kores retired from the UNSC Marine Corps as a Chief Warrant Officer Four after 40 years of service.

Contracting career
Two weeks after his retirement in 2524, Kores was brought into the Office of Naval Intelligence, Section One as a Subject Matters Expert. After completing UNSC Navy Case Officer School, he deployed with Lieutenant Theodora Papadopoulos to investigate Insurrectionist activity aboard the CMA Endeavour, where they shut down a smuggling ring run. Following his tour, he was assigned to a Section Two team as the Chief of Security for ONI Officers to the Outer Colonies of the growing Covenant threat. He fought against the Covenant in 2528 during the Battle of Madrigal. After losing the battle, he was reassigned to a Section Two team in Sector One to warn of the incoming Covenant threat to the Outer Colonies. As a member of the Outer Colony Threat Assessment Program, Kores served as an expeditionary team leader for psychological warfare specialists, special envoys, and communication technicians to help with strengthening Outer Colony warning systems against Covenant invading forces. On Mamore, Kores served as the chief PSD during meetings with the Freedom and Liberation Party while coordinating training exercises with the local militia to prepare the force for a Covenant invasion.

Returning to Reach in 2531, Kores returned to Section One where he assisted in identifying and classifying Covenant weapon systems for analysts. Serving as a science, technology, and weapons analyst, he assisted in identifying technical information about Covenant weaponry and provided ideas on how to defend against Covenant technology better. Kores went on to write manuals about Covenant tactics and how to conduct evacuations while in combat. He returned to field duty in 2535 where he served at an ONI Base on New Constantinople and later participated in the Battle of New Constantinople in 2537. During the battle, Kores worked diligently to destroy classified material and protect personnel evacuating from the facility. In 2539, Kores deployed to Miridem where he ran counterintelligence operations on war refugee camps across the colony.