New California Republic Rangers

The New California Republic Rangers are an elite outfit of the New California Republic Army. The Rangers are a select group that is pledged to protect the people of the wastes much like the Texas Rangers in pre-War times.

History
The Rangers were founded by Seth after Tandi and Aradesh created the New California Republic and eventually, by 2241, became one of the most powerful military forces in the wasteland. 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 large 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 First Battle of Hoover Dam. In a cunning trap laid by them and NCR's 1st Recon, they lured the best fighters of Caesar's Legion into Boulder City. When enemy troops entered the city, it was blown up. In the aftermath, the remaining Legion survivors were gunned down by snipers. Although the NCR forced the Legion to retreat, the losses they sustained in defence of the dam prevented them from following up on their success.

By 2281, the NCR military had become well-established within the Mojave Wasteland. Operating from a large number of stations across the area, the Rangers remain ever vigilant for Legion raiding parties, as well as common brigands. However, despite the enormous threat posed by the Legion, many of the organization's best members had been reassigned to other posts off the front lines. A few were given the "prestigious" task of becoming bodyguards for the current President of the Republic, Aaron Kimball; others were sent off to Baja on an unknown mission.

Despite their ongoing dedication to their duty, even the Rangers are finding it difficult to retain their hold on a territory as expansive as the Mojave. Under the command of General Lee Oliver, 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, 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.

Organization
The Rangers organized as elite light infantry. Life in the Rangers is hard, beginning with the arduous and extremely demanding selection course. Men and women are both allowed to try becoming Rangers, but their chances of making it are low either way. Prospective Rangers are recruited from the best of the regular NCR Army and even then, 80% do not finish training and drop out. The training and conditioning is said to be as nearly as intense as that of the legionaries, albeit only more forgiving. The result is that even alone, each Ranger is a force to be reckoned with, as was the case with one female ranger who was able to best an elite centurion with her bare hands. Those that finish and are awarded the badge have proven that they are "quieter than a shadow and more ferocious than a deathclaw." 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.

The NCR Rangers operate almost entirely outside of the normal NCR Army, and some get their orders from some of the highest-ranking leaders the NCR has. An NCR Ranger hit squad exists in the Mojave in 2281, ready to "do terrible things to terrible people" if ordered by NCR leadership.

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 recruit
 * Ranger
 * Veteran Ranger
 * Chief (only the top Ranger holds this rank)

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

It is unknown how the Rangers are organized strategically. Chief Hanlon explains that the Ranger stations across the Mojave are tasked with patrolling the NCR's territory. They then report to the Ranger station, who then transmit the message to the Rangers base (Camp Golf in the Mojave) who will then analyse the threat and directly call reinforcements from the regular army.

According to Balmoral's report in the Divide, it seems the Rangers are divided into battalions, then in companies, and finally in platoons, much like the regular army.

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 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

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

There are also unnamed NCR Rangers and NCR Veteran Rangers present.

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."

Technology
Rangers employ high end equipment (namely combat armor, various small arms, heavy weapons and occasionally, scavenged vehicles). Their regular patrol armor is hand-made in the NCR, while the elite black armor used by Veteran Rangers are based on pieces of pre-War LAPD riot armor. Ranger combat helmets are old pre-War gear that have built-in optics for low light conditions.

While the level of technology employed by the Rangers is quite impressive by the standards of the wastelands, it is still far behind the state-of-art equipment utilized by the Brotherhood of Steel and Enclave. Nevertheless, it is a testament to resources of the New California Republic that the Rangers are able to be so uniformly well-equipped, and even a Ranger on non-combat duties will easily defeat a group of Legionaries.

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. 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 them dying to the last man and their organization being broken, to them being victorious and hailed as heroes.

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 and based on the Texas Rangers of old.
 * The NCR Rangers also greatly resemble the U.S. Army Rangers in role, organization, and prestige. Chief Hanlon's voice actor, Kris Kristofferson, served in the U.S. Army in the 1960s and graduated from U.S. Army Ranger School during his time in uniform.