A U.S. Army battalion in Georgia has found an unusual way to get Soldiers thinking about reenlistment: four days away from work, timed around the release of Grand Theft Auto VI.
The incentive comes from the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart, part of the 3rd Infantry Division. It is limited to Soldiers assigned or attached to that battalion and is not an Army-wide program. According to the Associated Press, eligible Soldiers who reenlist between Aug. 1 and Nov. 14 can receive a special four-day pass connected to the game’s November launch.
The idea first gained attention after a July 28 memorandum signed by battalion commander Lt. Col. Ryan Hodgson circulated on social media. Army officials have since confirmed the document is authentic.
Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson, told the Associated Press that the battalion wanted to create an incentive tied to something that interested its Soldiers.
Soldiers who take the incentive must commit to at least two additional years of service. Reenlistment contracts associated with the program can last up to six years. As of this week, 20 of approximately 130 eligible Soldiers had already reenlisted under the program.
The four-day pass is intended to line up with the release of Grand Theft Auto VI, although the exact dates must be coordinated through each Soldier’s chain of command. The reenlistment memo also places limits on combining the pass with other leave.
Rockstar Games currently has GTA 6 scheduled for Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game returns the series to Vice City and follows protagonists Jason and Lucia through the fictional state of Leonida.
The battalion’s incentive comes as the Army continues to adjust how it approaches retention. The service updated its retention program for 2026 with greater emphasis on performance, critical military specialties, and longer reenlistment commitments. Army career counselors work with Soldiers approaching their reenlistment windows to determine which incentives may be available based on their circumstances and the needs of the service.
At Fort Stewart, the gaming incentive came from the battalion’s new career counselor. The goal was to get eligible Soldiers talking about reenlistment ahead of the fiscal year 2027 retention cycle by connecting the conversation to something many of them already follow.
Using a video game release as the centerpiece may be unusual, but commanders have some room to create local incentives that complement traditional reenlistment programs. In this case, the battalion attached four days of personal time to one of the year’s most anticipated game releases.
The program is limited to the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, an important distinction as the story spreads online. Reenlisting elsewhere in the Army does not automatically come with four days off to play GTA 6.
Eligible Soldiers have until Nov. 14 to sign a new contract and qualify. With 20 already committed, the battalion will soon find out whether a few days in Vice City can help persuade more Soldiers to stay.
0 Comments