Twenty soldiers at Fort Stewart have already claimed an unusual Army reenlistment incentive: four days off, timed to the release of one of the most anticipated video games of all time.
The 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, is offering eligible soldiers a four-day pass around the Nov. 19 release of Grand Theft Auto VI as part of a localized effort to meet its fiscal 2027 reenlistment goals, division officials confirmed to Military.com.
Of the battalion’s 130 soldiers currently eligible to reenlist, 20 have already selected the gaming-themed pass as part of their reenlistment incentive, Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division, told Military.com on Aug. 18.
The confirmation comes after a memorandum describing the offer began circulating online. Tomko confirmed the memo is authentic and said the program is limited to the battalion.
“The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what soldiers are interested in,” Tomko said.
The ‘GTA VI’ Pass Comes With a Catch
Soldiers can’t simply ask their commanders for a long weekend to disappear into Vice City.
To qualify for the incentive, an eligible soldier must reenlist for at least two years and can sign a contract for as long as six years, according to the division. The incentive applies to soldiers within the battalion’s reenlistment window.
The idea originated with the battalion’s new career counselor, who approached unit leaders with a proposal for a more creative incentive program as the unit works toward its fiscal 2027 retention goals, Tomko said.
The command team hopes the unusual offer will do more than persuade soldiers who were already planning to stay in uniform to choose a four-day pass. Officials believe it can get eligible soldiers thinking about reenlistment sooner and encourage them to talk with their leaders and career counselor about the options available to them.
So far, nearly 1-in-6 of the battalion’s 130 eligible soldiers has selected the GTA VI incentive.
The Army has long allowed commanders to use incentives alongside bonuses and other benefits to encourage eligible soldiers to reenlist. Local incentives can include passes, parking privileges, exemptions from certain duties and other perks, depending on the unit.
A four-day weekend built around a video game launch, however, is considerably more unique than past endeavors.
Rockstar Games is scheduled to release Grand Theft Auto VI on Nov. 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The game returns the blockbuster franchise to Vice City and follows protagonists Jason and Lucia through the fictional state of Leonida. Digital preloading begins Nov. 12.
The game’s long road to release has only heightened anticipation. Rockstar previously planned to launch GTA VI in May before pushing the release to November, saying it needed additional time to finish the game.
For the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, that anticipation presented an opportunity.
The unit, known as the Gila Battalion, is part of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Its soldiers include combat engineers and other troops supporting the armored brigade.
Lt. Col. Ryan Hodgson, the battalion commander, was at a training range Tuesday and had limited cell service, according to Tomko, and was unavailable to speak with Military.com.
But at least 20 of his soldiers have already decided that if they’re going to sign up for a few more years in the Army anyway, a few days in Vice City isn’t a bad addition to the deal.
Read the full article here
