High power laser systems have a number of uses in a variety of scientific and defense applications, for example laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) or laser-triggered switches. In general, high power optical fibers are used to deliver the laser energy from the source to the target in preference to free space beams. In certain cases, such as nuclear reactors, these optical systems are expected to operate in ionizing radiation environments. In this paper, a variety of modern, currently available commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) optical fiber designs have been assessed for successful operation in the transient gamma radiation environment produced by the HERMES III accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories, USA. The performance of these fibers was evaluated for high (~1 MW) and low (