New California Republic Rangers

The New California Republic Rangers are an elite military outfit of the New California Republic. The Rangers are a volunteer special forces renowned as much for their expert reconnaissance capabilities as their bravery and combat prowess. Their primary purpose is dealing with threats regular forces cannot handle, as well as keeping the borders of the NCR secure, scouting out threats and other special assignments. Their superior training, weaponry and assortment of both 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.

History
The Rangers were founded by Seth in the early years of the New California Republic, eventually becoming an independent law enforcement agency focusing on abolishing slavery inside and outside its borders. For decades they fought the practice, both in courts and on the field of battle, slowly building up their political and military power. By 2241, their activism and many friends in high places ensured the passage of legislation in the core lands of the republic south of Shady Sands, causing them to turn their eyes north, to the territories outside the capital. Their limited numbers made their mission difficult, as they were routinely outnumbered by their foes. As such, the Rangers operated in secret, especially outside NCR territories. Where slavers were present, they would raid them, help potential slaves flee their would-be captors, and smuggle liberated slaves south to the republic. Their operations were a major thorn in the side of the Slaver's Guild, especially around New Reno and Klamath. Operational security implemented by the Rangers made their cells and safehouses impossible to detect for the untrained slaver muscle. Even their headquarters were secret, hidden in plain sight in Shady Sands' auto shop. It's commonly believed that the clarity of purpose and a clear moral compass, helped them beat seemingly impossible odds and prevail.

In the end, their perseverance proved essential to helping the growing republic and its still-young army survive in a wasteland full of despots, slavers and raiders. The Rangers steadily helped tip the balance in favor of the republic, which stood for freedom and democracy. Their abolitionism evolved into a fundamental dedication to protecting the people of the wasteland against all forms of tyranny. Their work took on a new shape in 2271, when the elder Chief Elise signed the Ranger Unification Treaty, integrating the Desert Rangers into the NCR Rangers and dedicating the Rangers to protecting Hoover Dam, New Vegas and southern Nevada against the forces of the Legion, which proved impossible for the Desert Rangers to defeat on their own.

For the next ten years, the Rangers' duties slowly transformed into a permanent vigil, looking east and watching the borders against tyrants like the Legion. Rangers patrolled both sides of the great Colorado River, trying to fight an enemy who refused to fight fair and routinely used children and ambushes to fight the Rangers. Many were wounded and forced to leave the Rangers, incapable of continuing their patrols. The few who recovered could count on priority assignments to elite units of the Army, always in need of capable soldiers. The greatest achievement of their campaign against the legion came in 2277, when Rangers under the command of Chief Hanlon turned the tide of the First Battle of Hoover Dam. In a cunning trap laid by them and NCR's 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, they lured the best fighters of Caesar's Legion through the dam into Boulder City. When enemy troops entered it, the Rangers detonated the explosives placed in advance within the buildings, devastating Caesar's main force. The Courier: "So what happened at Hoover Dam and Boulder City?" Hanlon: "In big battles, Caesar deploys his legionaries in waves. Recruits up front, prime soldiers behind the recruits, old guard bringing up the rear. Opponents wear themselves out dealing with the first two waves, if they survive that long. When the veterans step up, there's not much fight left. Caesar can adapt, though, and when required, he can run any mix of legionaries as skirmishers and still retain order in the ranks." The Courier: [Continue] Hanlon: "Joshua Graham, Caesar's old legate, he's wasn't so flexible. When the Legion attacked Hoover Dam, General Oliver ordered his troopers back to the middle ground just after first contact. Graham pushed all of the legionaries onto the dam, filling the east side with recruits up front and veterans in the back, by the book." The Courier: [Continue] Hanlon: "But once they were in, they were stuck there. Oliver's troopers were entrenched and wouldn't give a foot. That's when we ordered the rangers and 1st recon sharpshooters to start picking off veteran legion officers from a high ridge west of the dam. That only lasted about a minute before Graham ordered the back ranks to push through to the front and rush the ridge." The Courier: [Continue] Hanlon: "Caused total chaos among the younger legionaries, and Oliver's troopers fell back to the side walkways and stayed out of the veterans' way. By the time the veterans got to the ridge, we were already in Boulder City. They followed us down there, but we were out before they realized what was happening." The Courier: [Continue] Hanlon: "We had packed the old city with C4 and dynamite. Crude, but it did the job. Those who didn't die in the blast were in no position to mount a defense. The ones left on the dam didn't know what to do. The troopers routed them. Graham pulled the remaining legionaries back, but the battle was over. He went south, back to the Grand Canyon, back to Caesar. And that was the last we saw or heard from Joshua Graham." (Hanlon's dialogue)

Credited with the victory, the Rangers were celebrated across the republic as heroes, overshadowing the sacrifice of scores of army soldiers under the command of General Lee Oliver. The resentful general has taken it upon himself to win the next confrontation on his own terms, frequently to the detriment of the troops under his command, especially the Rangers. The New California Republic Army has adopted a confrontational posture, entrenching itself on the banks of the Colorado River while facing Legion positions on the opposite side. Given ongoing manpower shortages and overstretched supply lines, this only made the republic's strategic situation even more precarious than before. General Lee Oliver always does the opposite of what Chief Hanlon recommends, down to placing the Rangers in the middle of the western part of the dam. However, while Chief Hanlon believes that the Rangers lack the firepower or support necessary to hold the line, it would later turn out that General Oliver actually made the right call, after all.

However, their image remains unblemished. Rangers act as bodyguards for President Aaron Kimball and maintain a network of Ranger outposts across the Mojave, including Ranger station Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo and Foxtrot, and the gateway to the republic, Mojave Outpost. While civilian and patrol Rangers hold the line in the Mojave and on other frontiers, acting as informants and scalpels to destabilize enemies, the veterans are occupied in Baja, chasing ghosts on the administration's orders. The state of affairs has not affected the dedication of the rank and file Rangers, but weighs heavy on the mind of their present Chief, Hanlon, who believes that holding the Dam will be the death of the republic.

By 2281, they represent the elite of the NCR and are often given dangerous or prestigious tasks, such as forming the elite bodyguard of the then president of the republic, Aaron Kimball. However, according to Chief Hanlon, a Ranger's life boils down to the phrase "looking east," tools to be used for the territorial expansion of the republic. Regardless, a Ranger failing in their objective is a rare sight and their success is often taken for granted.

The rangers operate from six Ranger stations across the Mojave Wasteland: Ranger station Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo and Foxtrot. These stations are tasked with patrolling the NCR's territory, who then transmit their reports to the Rangers' headquarters (Camp Golf in the Mojave) who will then analyze the threat and directly call reinforcements from the regular army. However, these messages have been getting mixed up with conflated numbers sightings, making relying on these reports tenuous at best and life-threatening at worst. Paired with both General Lee Oliver's favor over the rank-and-file soldiers of the NCR military, and Rangers routinely being put in harm's way in favor of Oliver's power-armored shock-troops has made Ranger work exceedingly frustrating from Chief Hanlon and the average patrol Ranger.

Organization
What started as an independent outfit dedicated to uprooting slavery evolved over the years into a distinct organization with the characteristics of civilian survey companies, special forces, and law enforcement: Part scout, part commando, part sheriff. Although once autonomous, by 2271, the Rangers were folded into the NCR's military chain of command, operating under army officers in any major engagements or ongoing operations of strategic locations like Mojave Outpost or Camp McCarran. However, Rangers are given leeway in terms of carrying out their duties, blurring the line between an independent agency and army special forces.

The Rangers are not numerous. In the Mojave Wasteland, the total number of Rangers across the region initially does not exceed a couple dozen, concentrated in Ranger stations. The troop surge in preparation for the Second Battle of Hoover Dam increases their numbers substantially.

They are organized into Ranger battalions, which are in turn divided into companies and those into platoons and then squads. There are at least four Ranger battalions in existence, and their companies can be named after animals (eg. Cazador company.) One of the most elite Ranger squads is the Alpha Squad. A NCR Ranger hit squad also exists in the Mojave in 2281, ready to "do terrible things to terrible people" if ordered by NCR leadership.

Rangers frequently serve a lifetime, until they are incapacitated, killed or retire. Veterans who served 20 years do not receive medals or watches, but rather the traditional Ranger Sequoia, a ceremonial (but still very functional) hunting revolver. Like troopers of the army, Rangers receive compensation for their work in the field. Payment is also incentive-based, and the discovery of important intel can lead to a salary raise.

Recruitment
Unlike the NCR Army, the NCR Rangers are an all-volunteer force and make no use of conscription. Instead, the Rangers proactively recruit members, most commonly from among the soldiers of New California Republic Army who demonstrated excellence at fighting and/or scouting, though prospective Rangers are free to refuse the offer. As long as the candidate demonstrates the requisite skills, anyone can join: the Rangers accept humans, ghouls and super mutants all on an equal basis.

All candidates are expected to undergo rigorous training. 8 out of 10 drop out due to the extreme standards. Those that finish and are awarded the badge have proven that they are "quieter than a shadow and more ferocious than even a deathclaw."

Before the Rangers were formalized as an agency of the republic, the Ranger chiefs had much greater flexibility in nominating Rangers. Those who aided the Rangers' cause in substantial ways were fast-tracked to full Ranger status, complete with their distinctive pin.

Ranks
The Rangers are a close-knit outfit, with a great deal of emphasis placed on respecting the wisdom of their veterans and elders. The greatest of these in 2281 is Chief Hanlon, who is the object of near-reverence by his fellow Rangers. The Rangers do not generally use the NCR Army's standard military rank structure. Their known ranks are:
 * Ranger
 * Veteran Ranger
 * Chief (only the top Ranger holds this rank)

However, sometimes the Rangers do use standard NCR Army military rank; a Ranger by the name of Balmoral referred to himself as a staff sergeant while he was in the Divide.

Technology


As the elite military force of the republic, the NCR Rangers have access to the best equipment the New California Republic can offer, although that doesn't include power armor, energy weapons, or force fields. Under Chief Elise in 2241, a Ranger's default combat outfit was the second generation reinforced combat armor with a variety of advanced weapons at their disposal, including fully automatic combat shotguns, flamers and miniguns. Everything was kept at a high level of maintenance. The Ranger Unification Treaty in 2271 brought changes, as the Desert Rangers merged into the Republic Rangers, bringing with them their traditional brown dusters.

By 2281, the Rangers have firmly established themselves as the elite military branch of the republic. As such, they have access to the finest armor and weapons the republic can muster. Their regular Ranger patrol armor is hand-made in the NCR and offers good, balanced protection in combat and from the hardships of the desert, while the elite black armor uses advanced pre-War LAPD riot armor combined with the traditional Desert Ranger duster, a symbol of their skills and bravery. Ranger combat helmets are also old pre-War military gear that has built in low-light optics, allowing for more advance night scouting and sharpshooting to assist regular army troops. Ranger armories are also significantly better than that of regular troops and include anti-materiel rifles, brush guns, various automatic weapons and more.

2241

 * Chief Elise
 * Ranger Ezekiel
 * Ranger Gond
 * Ranger 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 miniguns, assault rifles (ex. H&K CAWS) and sniper rifles. Around the NCR Capital, they can be found fighting random hostiles like super mutants and raiders, whereas on the slave routes they can be found killing slavers.

2281
In addition to unnamed NCR Rangers and NCR Veteran Rangers, members include:

Relations with the outside
The Rangers, especially the Veteran Rangers, have a fearsome reputation with friend and foe alike. In the Mojave, posters can be seen of them and some NCR troopers believe they "chew nails and spit napalm." Even men of Caesar's Legion speak of the Rangers with respect, calling them "the best the profligates have to offer."

Fallout 2
NCR Rangers can be seen in random encounters and will usually leave the Chosen One alone, only attacking if they are a slaver. They also appear in New California Republic. If not hostile, the Chosen One even has the option of joining the Rangers as a member.

Fallout: New Vegas
The Courier can encounter Rangers throughout the Mojave, in various outposts and camps. They can choose to help them in various quests, such as updating their radio security codes or rescuing a member from Vault 3. If the Courier chooses to aid the NCR, a squad of Veteran Rangers will aid in the Second Battle of Hoover Dam.

The Courier can call a Ranger in as backup through the NCR emergency radio, as long as the player character has a good reputation with the NCR. Alternatively, if they have a negative reputation with the NCR, they may send a squad of Rangers to kill the Courier.

Choices made in Fallout: New Vegas will change the fate of the Rangers. The ending can range from Chief Hanlon and those few Rangers accompanying him being slain to the very last man and revered for their sacrifice, to them either being victorious and hailed as heroes or reviled and permanently disgraced should Chief Hanlon's plot against the occupation be exposed.

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.

Behind the scenes
According to the Fallout Bible, the Rangers are similar to their pre-War equivalent, the Texas Rangers.