NCR trooper NCR troopers are the main foot soldiers for the NCR in the Mojave Wasteland during 2281 . Background . The foundation of the New California Republic Army , the troopers are men and women who have either volunteered or have been conscripted to serve in the NCR military as the hammer of the Republic . Their backgrounds , level of training , equipment , and even loyalty vary widely amongst the thousands of troopers . However , the fact that the NCR fields a substantial army all equipped with firearms has given the NCR the edge in numerous wars . Unfortunately , the Mojave Campaign pitted the NCR against a determined foe : Caesar ' s Legion . Though the bulk of Caesar ' s warriors were forced to do battle with crude blades against NCR riflemen , their superior conditioning , fearlessness , and greater numbers have forced the NCR into defensive positions . The Republic has been hard pressed to deploy enough troops to the Mojave , where the sheer size of the territory requires a great number of personnel to properly secure it . Coupled with the rising death toll at the hand of the Legionaries , the NCR ' s position is swiftly becoming tenuous . To make matters worse , the NCR ' s most experienced soldiers are being killed daily , leaving naught but recruits rushed out of training into battle . As a result , the NCR is forced to deal with sagging morale and daily reductions in their troop strength . Equipment . The standard NCR trooper ' s uniform is one of the several variants of NCR armor . Composed of a khaki tunic with bellowed hip pockets and khaki breeches , worn with a desert facewrap and hardened leather pauldrons , black leather fingerless gloves , arm wraps , brown boots and khaki puttees . The uniform was designed to resist the rigors of the desert and long campaigns . The main protection provided by their uniform comes from the thick leather breastplate that covers the torso and the layers of fabric over the arms and legs . Their armor is robust enough to withstand knife strikes and small - caliber firearms . An average soldier in the NCR army is issued with a service rifle and a . Given its reliability , ease of manufacture , and firepower , the service rifle is ideal for the grueling war in the Mojave . However , due to logistical troubles and supply shortages , not all troopers can be issued with a service rifle , and instead , they must make do with whatever firearm is available . As a result , small NCR patrols can fairly often be found wandering the wasteland armed with , 9mm submachine gun s , , 9mm pistols , and even single shotgun s . A few such patrols use First Sergeant Astor ' s camp near Camp Searchlight as a resting point . Appearances . NCR troopers appear only in " " . Bugs . An NCR trooper called " NCR trooper MP " may randomly approach you in the Strip and attack you which also causes everybody in that area to turn hostile , claiming that no - one messes with the NCR and gets away with it , even if you have a good reputation with the NCR and have done nothing to antagonize them . Stealing from the embassy , even if you do it without getting caught , seems to attract his attention , but not always . Triggering the quest Don ' t Tread on the Bear ! also seems to draw his ire , even if you haven ' t actually failed it . Killing him out of sight of others will prevent anyone else from turning hostile against you , but you may still receive Infamy with the NCR . It can be somewhat more problematic if he appears in a crowded area , you can bypass him to avoid having a fight with him .