Four days of GTA 6 for more years in service. That’s what soldiers in a combat engineering unit at Ford Stewart, Georgia, are being offered.
To some surprise, 20 of the 130 eligible service members have already agreed, according to a public information officer.
Per The Independent, the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart comes with the bizarre offer and cash in the hype of the upcoming Rockstar game.
But the soldiers must re-enlist for another two to six years in military service in return for playing GTA 6, releasing in November, for 96 hours.
In a July 28 memorandum, it stated, a special reenlistment incentive program in an effort to retain troops and boost morale.”
According to the memo, “This special pass is specifically designated to coincide with the highly anticipated release of the video game Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6).”
Explaining the unique decision, Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, who is the public affairs officer with Fort Stewart’s 3rd Infantry Division, said, “The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what soldiers are interested in.”
But where did this idea come from?
Tomko pointed to a career counselor coming up with this creative proposal to convince soldiers to stay in uniform.
“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,” she said.
This unconventional approach comes as the U.S. military faces retention challenges among mid-career personnel.
