Why are the rangers so present in post apocalyptic worlds now? Is this a cultural thing?
Fallout was inspired by Wasteland and took a bunch of elements from it (and that's why I've recommended the Wasteland series to people who want more isometric-style Fallout).
If I remember correctly, Fallout 1 and 2 didnβt have any rangers.
kagis
https://old.reddit.com/r/falloutlore/comments/j0vbrr/the_difference_between_rangers_and_1st_recon_i/
So, the initial Desert Rangers in Fallout existed in the form of a single companion in Fallout 1, Tycho, who was a Desert Ranger from Arizona. The devs confirmed this was a reference to Wasteland, the predecessor to Fallout which followed a group of Rangers keeping the peace in the post-apocalyptic deserts of Nevada and Arizona.