| abstract | - Kathrin Grunwald (November 19, 2517- February 9, 2637) was a German-born UNSC Naval officer who served in the Human-Covenant War, Remnant War, Galactic War and into the Swarm War. Grunwald first served aboard the Marathon-class cruiser UNSC Absolution between 2537 and 2551, eventually attaining the rank of Lieutenant in December of that year. Grunwald was transferred to the frigate Reunion to serve as weapons officer, her first bridge position and one she held through the ships' survival of the Battle of Tribute and retreat to Earth. From there she was reassigned back to Absolution, on which she served during the Battle of Earth. After exemplary actions during the battle, in which she completed Absolution's mission despite the enemy's best efforts, Grunwald was later promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Following her promotion, she was made executive officer of the Remembrance-class frigate UNSC Resurgence. By late 2555, Grunwald had progressed to the rank of Commander and received her own command, being made commanding officer of Resurgence, having been promoted for her actions at the Battle of Korll on October 8 that year, which saw the vessel's commanding officer severely wounded. She continued to serve for the remainder of the Remnant War, which was concluded in 2565, and by 2604 was still serving; in this year, she saw promotion to the rank of Admiral, and assumed command of a Strike Force. In 2621, Grunwald retired from operational service to become one of the most senior officers within UNSC Naval Command. She held this position throughout the Galactic War and into the first decade of the Swarm War, until her death of natural causes in 2637. Grunwald was regarded as one of the greatest Naval officers of her generation; indeed, being often compared to Miranda Keyes, ironically a close friend of Kathrin's, who died during Operation: BLIND FAITH in 2552. While serving admirably during the Human-Covenant War and subsequent Remnant War, it was in fact her actions during the Swarm War, which she only lived to see four years of, which gained her the most recognition after her death. Grunwald was one of the few high-ranking UNSC officers to realise the colossal threat the Swarm posed to the galaxy; the actions, plans and contingencies first devised by her would eventually save billions of lives throughout the war. Due to extensive cryo chamber use and slipspace travel for much of her career, Grunwald served in the Navy for a chronological period of one hundred years, and was chronologically one hundred and nineteen when she died. Despite this, her biological age was eighty two at the time of her death.
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