The US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division has confirmed that it is indeed offering a four-day pass in November to soldiers who reenlist for at least two years, so they can play Grand Theft Auto 6 when it comes out.
The “Special Reenlistment Incentive” memo is dated July 28, and came to light via the US Army WTF! Moments account on Instagram. It states, quite explicitly, that “any soldier who signs a reenlistment contract between 1 August 2026 and 14 November 2026 will be authorized for a special four day pass. This special pass is specifically designated to coincide with the highly anticipated release of the videogame Grand Theft Auto 6.”
As a lifelong civilian, that struck me as odd. I know the military has sometimes struggled to meet recruitment goals (although apparently it’s doing pretty well these days, perhaps or perhaps not the sort of thing that happens when people can’t afford groceries anymore), but would the Army really leverage GTA to convince its people to stick around for a few more years?
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Well, yes. “The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what soldiers are interested in,” Lt. Col. Angel Tomko told me. “The command team, in conjunction with the career counselor, wanted to get soldiers excited to reenlist. The command team thinks eligible soldiers are more aware that they are in their window for reenlistment and engage their leadership and the career counselor earlier to see available opportunities.
“The battalion has a new career counselor who approached unit leadership with an idea for an updated creative incentives program to reach FY27 reenlistment goals. Eligible soldiers must reenlist for a minimum of two years, up to six years.”
Tomko said the GTA 6 offer is not Army-wide, but rather a program unique to the 3rd Infantry Division, of which the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion is a part. It also seems to be quite successful: Tomko said there are 130 soldiers in the battalion who are eligible for the incentive and so far 20 have chosen it.
And apparently, this is novel but not unusual. “Reenlistment incentives are routine for the US Army to reward our soldiers,” Tomko said. “We want to retain the best talent and it’s a credit to the creativity of the career counselor within the organization to develop this unique opportunity surrounding the launch of this popular videogame.”
Based on reactions to the report on social media, it’s fair to say that some find the idea of using a popular videogame to keep the ranks filled a bit distasteful. And fairly so: Four days in exchange for two years (or more) hardly seems a good deal, especially during a time of what often feels like aimless American adventurism.
And it can feel downright predatory when taken in the context of, for example, this ABC report on military recruitment, which throws a disheartening light on the imbalance between high school kids with few opportunities and a massive, savvy organization who knows how to target them: “Among the recruits and prospective recruits interviewed, only two said they knew what a secretary of defense is, and neither could identify who currently holds the position.”
At the same time, it’s likely that at least some of those 20 who took advantage of the offer were planning to reenlist anyway, and are just opting for the GTA 6 pass because, hey, why not? More to the point, unlike the new recruits interviewed in that ABC report, soldiers eligible for the offer are already in the Army: They may not know who the secretary of defense is either, but they are at least hip to what’s in store.
Regardless of the reactions elsewhere, Tomko said the response to the incentive program among soldiers has been extremely positive.
“The heightened interest in the press does not change the purpose of the program: to reward dedicated soldiers for service to their nation,” Tomko explained. “Every soldier who is eligible for this program is already serving, already trained, and already fully qualified. Reenlistment incentives are a longstanding part of Army retention, and units often tailor them to their formations in ways that build morale and spark early conversations about career options.
“Soldiers who reenlist often have multiple incentive options depending on their Military Occupational Specialty, service needs, and eligibility, and range from time off, to money or duty location of choice. This specific incentive is for all soldiers in 9th Engineer Battalion and is an administrative bonus layered on top of standard reenlistment incentives.”
The US military has a history of using videogames as part of its recruitment efforts. The America’s Army shooter series debuted in 2002, almost 25 years ago—perhaps not coincidentally, just months after the start of what’s now referred to as the Global War on Terrorism. In 2018 the Army launched its own esports team, which operates as part of its “Marketing and Engagement Brigade based at Fort Knox,” and in 2020 it began a Twitch channel for game streams. That endeavor had a rough start, but the Army’s esports org remains active, and continues to stream.
