The Brotherhood's primary directive was to recover and preserve advanced technology, however Elder Lyons' detachment took on a more humanitarian approach towards non-hostile wastelanders.

The Brotherhood's treatment of people in Pittsburgh and in Washington marked a characteristic trait of Elder Lyons' leadership. The discovery earned Owyn Lyons a promotion to elder and a change in his orders: instead of returning to the West Coast, they would establish a permanent presence in the area in the location. Their investigation of the Pentagon uncovered a remarkable cache of technology, including the four-story-tall robot known as Liberty Prime. Attacking head-on, they drove the mutants into the ruins of Washington, D.C., and earned the favor of the local population. On their arrival, the wilderness outside the city was overrun by super mutants. During the Scourge, Lyons' forces suffered only one casualty: Initiate Ishmael Ashur, who was buried in rubble during the fighting and presumed dead. Lyons' contingent left the city with approximately 20 children in tow, who would later be initiated into the Brotherhood. In a single night, the Brotherhood swept through the city from their staging area at Mount Wash, and eliminated any resident who put up a fight.

On their way to the Capital Wasteland, the Brotherhood's forces came across the ruins of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a chaotic and violent city.

Brotherhood of steel concept art