When in combat with any other enemy, moreover the Covenant, they are instructed to turn these recorders on to get as much information on the Covenant as possible, such as behavior and tactics. Because such data is scarce, the Helmet Recorder is an invaluable tactical resource to the ONI and the UNSC forces, who often retrieve this data and then debrief the wearer about the audio and video data they recorded. They store their information in the processed Recorder Chips.