Maxson bunker The Maxson bunker was a pre - War fallout shelter built by a senator for his family and himself . Unfortunately , the war caught him unaware , and the bunker was never actually used for its intended purpose . All but forgotten , the bunker location was passed down as a family secret from one generation to the next . Eventually , a family member passed the secret on to Roger Maxson , who claimed it for the Brotherhood of Steel . The bunker was intended to be used as a staging area for exploration teams scouting the east . However , once the war broke out with the New California Republic , the bunker became a forward base of operations against Hoover Dam , an NCR outpost . The war effort has gone poorly for both sides , with the Brotherhood of Steel having superior technology , yet the NCR having superior numbers of troops . As a result , the war has been at a stalemate for years , with morale on both sides having plummeted , and with the Brotherhood of Steel most severely affected . The Brotherhood of Steel have always believed themselves to be an elite organization comprised of the best that mankind has to offer in terms of soldiers and technology . The fact that a large group of under trained and under equipped troops could hold their own against such superior forces was an eye opener for the Brotherhood of Steel . The war , in their eyes , has now become a senseless waste of lives and resources , and many of the Brotherhood of Steel troops have deserted and fled into the wastelands to find new lives ; leaving the bunker occupied by a select few diehards . In the wake of these troubles , a covert group of former Brotherhood of Steel operatives has come into existence , calling themselves the Circle of Steel . This group raids caravans and villages , confiscates any advanced technology they may have , and does so in the name of salvaging mankind from itself . Background . In the year 2067 , Senator Todd Peterson decided to build a secret bunker to house himself and his family should war break out . Senator Peterson was a wealthy man in his own right , but lacked the funds necessary for such a project . Through secret dealings with Poseidon Oil and a covert branch of the government known as the Enclave , the final funding for the project was attained . A construction site was chosen in southern Colorado , and work began . Ten years after the construction was completed , war did indeed break out . Senator Peterson was in Washington , D . C . at the time , and , much to his chagrin , was taken completely by surprise . The senator made a desperate attempt to gather his family and reach the bunker , but his small plane never arrived . The bunker might have remained lost were it not for a surviving member of the senator ' s family , Ben Schilling . In the year 2077 , Captain Roger Maxson left the Mariposa Military Base , and traveled to the secret Lost Hills bunker for the purpose of establishing a new military order . He brought with him a loyal group of followers , consisting of both military personnel and scientists . Among these was Corporal Ben Shilling . It was at this time that Maxson established the Brotherhood of Steel . As the Brotherhood grew , they began to look into the possibility of expanding their operations . It was then that Ben Schilling revealed the location of Senator Peterson ' s bunker , and the location was filed away for future use . In the year 2231 , Jeremy Maxson was leading a thriving Brotherhood of Steel . Jeremy decided that it was time to expand Brotherhood of Steel operations into the east , and he sent an expeditionary force composed of five Paladins to confirm the location of Peterson ' s bunker . The expedition leader , Andrea Brixley , discovered the bunker , disabled its security , and opened it for habitation . For over a decade , she and her fellow Paladins explored the east , and forged relationships with many of the local tribes that inhabited the area . In the year 2242 , Jeremy Maxson renamed the bunker after his famous ancestor , Roger Maxson , and later sent a full complement of troops for occupation there . Andrea Brixley was promoted to Elder , given the rank of General , and was placed in charge of the bunker . The remainder of her exploratory team were given the title of Elder as well . It was not long afterward that the war with the New California Republic was announced , and the bunker was re - suited for war . For years , the war waged on and was considered a victory for the Brotherhood of Steel . However , no matter how many troops fell to the Brotherhood ' s superior technology , the NCR always seemed to have more replacements available . The Brotherhood , however , was not so fortunate . Being an elitist group , replacements were short in arriving . It soon became obvious that the Brotherhood was doomed to lose the war to the NCR ' s greater numbers . Morale at the bunker began to falter as the war seemed more and more hopeless . Eventually , the inevitable happened , and many lower ranking members of the Brotherhood began to desert their posts . In an effort to end the war once and for all , the Brotherhood began to use newly discovered subversive technology known as Stealth Boy s . These devices could create a field of energy that would bend light around the user , thus making him virtually invisible to sight . This allowed Brotherhood operatives to penetrate deep into NCR territory for the gathering of intelligence . However , it was soon discovered that the devices had severe side effects : paranoia , delusions , and eventual schizophrenia were the major ones . The Brotherhood disallowed the use of Stealth Boys , and once again fell behind in their war effort . Now the Brotherhood of Steel is facing yet another problem : the side effects of the Stealth Boys were not discovered until the team using them had already begun to feel their effect . When the team was disbanded , paranoia over the reason began to set in , and the team plotted against their own leaders . They stole the remaining Stealth Boys , fled the bunker as deserters , and formed a covert group known as the Circle of Steel . The goal of the CoS is to recover lost technology , and rebuild the glory of the Brotherhood at any cost . Layout . Entrance . This area consists of a cliff wall with a camouflaged hanger set into it . Nearby is a cave entrance that leads to the bunker proper . Level 1 . This level of the bunker is composed of the barracks , the gym , the armory , the motor pool , and the medical center . It is lightly populated with guards as well as some key personnel . Level 2 . This level contains the living quarters for senior personnel , the kitchen , the dinning area , a meeting area , the computer room , the water purification plant , and the brig . Level 3 . This level was to be the private quarters of Senator Peterson and his family . It contains a computerized library , an office , a bedroom , and a power plant . Circle of Steel hideout . This is a random map composed of a small rural town / farm . It is here that the Circle of Steel will be confronted . Appearances . The Maxson bunker was to appear in " Van Buren " , Black Isle Studios ' canceled " Fallout 3 " project . Behind the scenes . The Maxson bunker was designed by John Deiley .