National Catastrophe Relief Auxiliary Response Unit MD-478

 is a Maryland-based unit of the National Catastrophe Relief Auxiliary that attempted an ill-fated relief effort in the wake of the Great War.

Background
As the American offensives pushed deep into the People's Republic of China, National Guard units and their auxiliaries were mobilized and deployed throughout the nation. The most highly trained units were dedicated to Washington, D.C., to assist and evacuate the civilian population, with those that scored lower in drills being assigned to rural areas. Maryland 478 was one such unit. Its Presiding Officer, Nancy Kroydon, was privy to information that the mobilization was taking place in response to a credible threat of nuclear retaliation from the Chinese, though she kept the knowledge to herself, to avoid spreading panic or causing her subordinates to desert.

Even then, the nuclear strike on the capital took her by surprise. As the nuclear warheads landed on the capital and its surrounding areas, she realized with horror that they were hitting in areas where fellow NCRAR units were deployed, on top of hitting populated areas. Soon, her unit was folded into a Pennsylvania National Guard detachment that has made a beeline for the capital to provide security and necessary aid. They come just in time, as the looting in Germantown threatened to turn into a full-blown riot, endangering Kroydon and her unit. However, the situation rapidly deteriorated. The absence of top level leadership resulted in a power vacuum and inability to coordinate relief efforts. Dolores and Rebecca, members of Kroydon's unit, deserted soon after the arrival of the National Guard, to seek shelter in a local Vault.

While the auxiliaries have access to food and clean water from the local artesian well, the main problem is the high incidence of radiation sickness among the refugees. Kroydon quarantined the victims under advice from a Guardsman NCO, to reduce the tensions among the survivors. The ability to bury bodies discretely is an added benefit. However, at this point the situation cannot be salvaged. The auxiliaries soon run out of medical supplies necessary for treating radiation sickness. When the servicemen deserted them, Kroydon was forced to rely on whiskey and painkillers to simply help the victims pass. She herself was suffering from severe radiation poisoning. She passed on soon afterwards, marking the end of NCRAR Unit Maryland 478.

Appearances
is mentioned only in Fallout 3.