Michael Stanforth

Admiral Michael "Harold" Stanforth was the former head of ONI Section Three during the early Human-Covenant War and flag officer of the UNSC Navy. He was killed during the Fall of Reach.

Early life and career
Born on Earth to a privileged family with strong military traditions. His father, Hieronymus, was a distinguished fleet officer in the UNSC Navy, and Michael was always expected to follow in his footsteps. He graduated as an unrestricted line officer from the Luna Officer Candidate Academy in 2485, and was first posted on the Constantinople. He distinguished himself repeatedly early on and rocketed through the ranks, where his professionalism and strategic talent made him respected by his crew. His first big break was the tracking and capture of an unmarked munitions freighter en route to Paradise Falls, which then led him to uncovering evidence of large-scale attempts conducted by the CMA to arm the population against the UNSC. What made it especially impressive was that he did not break protocol once during the operation - something which saw ONI approach him directly to recruit him into their ranks.