Camp McCarran

Camp McCarran is a location in the Mojave Wasteland which serves as a major New California Republic military base in the Mojave Wasteland. It is considered a close second to Hoover Dam in terms of strategic importance. It is located south of The Strip North Gate and southwest from NCR Sharecropper Farms.

Background
It is located in the pre-War McCarran International Airport outside of New Vegas. Camp McCarran is the largest NCR military base in the New Vegas area and serves as the headquarters for NCR military operations in the Mojave region and as a center of logistics and information for NCR Army forces anywhere in Nevada. The base is constantly under attack from the Fiends, a drug-crazed gang that operates in the area. It also has several Caesar's Legion spies in it, according to Silus during the quest Silus Treatment.

The former civilian airport was chosen by the NCR for a military base because of the monorail to the Strip, for being an easily defensible location, and having easily utilized technology as well as fortifications that were built before the Great War. Mr. House agreed that NCR could establish a major military presence there as part of the New Vegas treaty. McCarran includes a larger garrison than any other base in the area, except possibly Hoover Dam. Despite its high importance, Camp McCarran is beset by many issues undermining operations. Notable problems that Camp McCarran is suffering in 2281 include frequent attacks from the Fiends, broken-down cooking machinery in the mess hall, a lack of anything but mixed vegetables to feed the troops, spies in the base, and a captured centurion who refuses to talk to NCR commanders.

The base commander is Colonel James Hsu, who also commands all NCR Army forces in the Mojave. General Lee Oliver, the NCR Army's leader, used to command the base personally, but he has relocated to Hoover Dam in anticipation of the coming battle with Caesar's Legion and has thus left Hsu fully in command of the garrison.

Layout
The airport is mostly intact, having only suffered damage from lack of repair. The NCR has converted several of the guard posts into sniper nests, and the parking lot in the center into a barracks with sleeping, medical, supply storage, office, mess hall and recreation tents set up as well as firing ranges. Near the cargo terminal gates is a truck repair depot.

There are also several NCR supply trucks parked around the barracks tents and passenger airplanes near the control tower. The tents closest to the camp entrance are occupied by the NCR 1st Recon, while the rest of the tents are used by regular NCR soldiers. Some beds, such as those used by 1st Recon, may be used by the Courier without penalty.

There's usually an NCR trooper or Ranger standing outside the camp's entrance if you have enough positive reputation to use the NCR emergency radio. Speaking to the trooper or Ranger will cause him/her to say "Trooper, ready to fight!" or "Ranger at the Ready!" and become part of the party; if they die, a message is displayed on the screen, informing that they have died.

The outside of the base is usually patrolled by groups of three NCR troopers on all sides of the complex, who will usually be picked off by the Fiends. Typically, there are five of these groups. They respawn every three days. NCR troopers also use the control towers as sniper's nests, assisting or shooting at the player (depending on the player's progress in the game or reputation at the time).

It appears that the NCR has fallen back quite a bit, as there are sandbags as far as South Vegas ruins. NCR Patrols, however, go as far as the hill behind Vault 34, as can be seen from a group of three standing around a fire barrel. NCR troops that far into Fiend territory means the NCR is trying to either sandwich the Fiends in or provide a relief flank for the camp itself.

Terminal building
The Camp McCarran terminal building is very large, housing a science lab, an interrogation room, jail, and supply rooms as well as quarters and office space for senior NCR officers. To the east, Colonel Hsu can be found in his office. Nearby is the OSI lab, with Doctors Thomas Hildern and Angela Williams. To the west is the office of Capt. Ronald Curtis.

Upstairs, the player can find Lt. Carrie Boyd and the detention center on the right. The monorail to the Las Vegas Boulevard Station and New Vegas Strip is to the left. The pre-War monorail is still fully functional and allows quick and safe transport between the camp and The Strip. However, only military personnel and VIP's are allowed to use it. The Courier will be allowed to use the monorail if they wear an NCR uniform or have good reputation with the NCR.

Notable loot

 * La Longue Carabine: a unique version of the cowboy repeater can be found in Camp McCarran, carried by Corporal Sterling, who moves to Camp Forlorn Hope after Three-Card Bounty along with the rest of 1st Recon. Killing him for the rifle will forfeit the quests I Don't Hurt Anymore and Old School Ghoul. To gain this rifle without losing Karma, you can pickpocket the ammunition from him (it is all he carries) then fast travel to a different location, then return to find the rifle in his inventory.
 * Cram Opener: a unique bladed gauntlet, carried by Little Buster, who leaves McCarran after the completion of Three-Card Bounty.
 * This Machine: a unique battle rifle, which can be obtained as a reward for the unmarked quest Dealing with Contreras.
 * 227 bottle caps, spread throughout the terminal building and the concourse.
 * Two Ice cold Nuka-Colas; both inside a chest refrigerator on the second floor of the terminal building near the jail cells.
 * Lab Technician outfit worn by Dr. Kemp in the Camp McCarran concourse

Appearances
Camp McCarran appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * McCarran International Airport was originally called Alamo Airport when it was constructed in 1942.
 * On December 20, 1948 the airport was renamed McCarran Field, after Pat McCarran, a U.S. Senator, who was native to Nevada, and authored the Civil Aeronautics Act.
 * The aircraft around the terminal have folding wings. This is unusual, as normally only Navy carrier qualified aircraft have this feature, to save space on deck.
 * McCarran International Airport's role in the Fallout series is comparable to Saddam Hussein International Airport. During the invasion of Iraq in 2003, American forces seized Baghdad's civilian airport and used it as a base of operations for the ensuing occupation.

Bugs

 * For some reason, sometimes your companion may not follow you to the main area of the Camp, even if you didn't tell them to wait. To fix, just enter the terminal building, fast travel, or exit the camp.
 * Game corrupts save while saving at Camp McCarran, during the quest to kill Motor-Runner. Saving in front of it can corrupt saves and the same rule applies to any other save file made after the ones in the Camp.
 * NCR Troopers sometimes perform as though they are typing on a typewriter/computer (including typing sound effects) while seated in the dining tent, even though there is no keyboard present, since the tables have been given the wrong "idle marker".
 * If you acquire Corporal White's journal in Corporal White's locker in the Camp McCarran Concourse before receiving the optional task "search Corporal White's personal locker" in The White Wash, the quest cannot be completed. This might lead to a save game issue where the loading screen dialogue tells you that the memory device is no longer present due to inaccessible DLC objects. The game will then restart upon loading dialogue confirmation. This repeats with the next loading attempt, rendering the save game useless.
 * Sometimes when you enter the main terminal building all NCR troopers will become hostile if you are detected.
 * After playing the game for a long time (at least an hour consecutively), Camp McCarran may cause extreme framerate drop. This happens in both the outside area and within the concourse. Quitting the game and restarting should fix the problem.
 * On occasion, when moving to the second floor of the terminal building, NCR troopers can become hostile. This also sometimes happens when exiting Camp McCarran. A quick fast-travel to another location and back can fix this.