New California Republic Rangers

"We're the NCR Rangers - we make the world a better place."

- NCR Rangers in Fallout 2

 are an elite outfit of the New California Republic Army. The rangers are a volunteer special force renowned as much for their shrewd reconnaissance capabilities as their bravery and combat prowess.

Overview
The rangers are recruited from the best of the NCR military and even then, 80% do not finish training and drop out. Those that finish and are awarded the badge have proven that they are "quieter than a shadow and deadlier than even a deathclaw."

In order to fulfill their objectives, they employ high end equipment (combat armor, various assault rifles, heavy weapons and even vehicles), numerous safe-houses in the wastes and unorthodox tactics. Their regular patrol armor is hand-made in the NCR, while the elite black armor comes from pre-War LAPD design. Ranger combat helmets are old Pre-War gear that have built in low-light optics, allowing for more advance night scouting and sharpshooting to assist the troopers. Their superior training, superior weaponry and assortment of pre-war and post-war technology allows them to tip battles in NCR's favor even when a situation may see them outnumbered and outgunned. Rangers can also operate as spies and conduct police work.

However, with little to no oversight from higher authorities their methods don't endear people to them, and NCR Rangers typically have bounties on their head, even in NCR states. Almost everyone who serves is human, but ghouls and super mutants are both known to also serve in the NCR armed forces including as rangers.

They are seen to be among the toughest fighters in the Wasteland, matched only by the elite members of Caesar's Legion, the NCR 1st Recon, the Enclave, the Brotherhood of Steel and Super Mutants.

Background
The Rangers were founded by Seth after Tandi and Aradesh created the New California Republic and eventually, by 2241, grew to become one of the most single minded and powerful special forces in the wastelands. Forces on NCR territory were particularly concerned with the problem of slavery and actively fought it by any means necessary. In early years, the burgeoning republic was faced by a huge volume of threats - from slavers and raider tribes, to roaming gangs and to the Wasteland itself. The Rangers were instrumental in protecting the frontiers, using their expertise to tip the balance in favor of the Republic when numbers and resources may not have been on their side.

Rangers were also the first to scout out Nevada and the Hoover Dam. In 2271, the Desert Rangers signed the Ranger Unification Treaty with the NCR Rangers at the Mojave Outpost, in which they agreed to become part of the NCR military in exchange for protection of Hoover Dam and Nevada from Caesar's Legion.

In 2277, Rangers under the command of Chief Hanlon were pivotal in turning the tide of the battle of Hoover Dam. In a cunning trap laid by them and NCR's 1st Recon, they lured the best fighters of the Caesar's Legion into Boulder City. When enemy troops entered the city, it was blown up and the survivors were gunned down by snipers, a turning point in the battle.

By 2281, they represent the elite of the NCR, often being given dangerous or prestigious tasks, such as forming the elite bodyguard of the then President of the Republic, Aaron Kimball. A great many of them are kitted out with NCR Ranger combat armor, a symbol of their skills and bravery. They operate from a large number of Ranger stations across the Mojave Wasteland. General Lee Oliver, however, greatly favors the rank-and-file soldiers of the NCR military, to the point where Rangers are routinely put in harm's way in favor of Oliver's power-armored shock-troops.

Leadership
The NCR Rangers operates almost outside of the normal NCR army. The organization relies on the leadership of its veteran, more experienced Rangers, like Chief Hanlon.

Ending
In Fallout: New Vegas. the fate of the NCR Rangers is heavily dependent on the Courier's actions during the storyline.

2241

 * Elise
 * Gond
 * Rondo

Various unnamed NCR Rangers make up patrols that circulate both around NCR itself and along major slave trafficking routes. They wear Combat armor and carry several high end weapons like the Minigun, Assault rifle, H&K CAWS, and Sniper rifle. Around the NCR Capital, they can be found fighting random hostiles like Super mutants and Raiders, whereas on the slave routes they can obviously be found killing slavers.

During this time, it's possible for The Chosen One to join the Rangers. Given the potential skill of The Chosen One, it's possible that this is canon and that he worked for the NCR after the events of Fallout 2.

2281

 * Chief Hanlon
 * Ranger Dobson
 * Ranger Ghost
 * Ranger Gomez
 * Ranger Grant
 * Ranger Jackson
 * Ranger Keller
 * Ranger Stella
 * Ranger Stevens
 * Ranger Milo

Generic

 * NCR Ranger
 * Veteran Ranger

Appearances
NCR Rangers first appeared in Fallout 2. They play a major role in Fallout: New Vegas and were scheduled to appear in the canceled Van Buren.