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 among 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. However, 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 sheer 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. The NCR's most experienced soldiers are being killed daily, leaving naught but recruits rushed out of training and 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 a service rifle and a 9mm pistol. 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 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 10mm submachine guns, 9mm submachine guns, 10mm pistols, 9mm pistols and even single shotguns. A few such patrols use First Sergeant Astor's camp near Camp Searchlight as a resting point.

Appearances
NCR troopers appear only in Fallout: New Vegas.

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.
 * Sometimes the NCR trooper MP may just appear and trigger dialogue with you, all you can say is "I need to get going," without turning him hostile.