Army battalion offers a GTA 6 four-day pass to soldiers who reenlist

On August 17, 2026, a memo surfaced on social media offering soldiers who reenlist a four-day pass timed to GTA 6’s release. It came from the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, based at Fort Stewart in Georgia. Kotaku reported it that day but said it could not verify the memo. Task & Purpose reported on August 18 that Army officials had confirmed it, and U.S. officials confirmed the offer to CBS News on August 19.

The memo is signed by the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Ryan Hodgson. CBS News said it was first posted by U.S. Army WTF! Moments, a social media community for service members and veterans. The offer covers active-duty enlisted soldiers in the battalion who reenlist between August 1 and November 14, 2026.

The memo, as quoted by Kotaku, gives the pass dates as November 20 to 23, 2026. Each soldier is to set the exact days with their chain of command.

Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, who speaks for the 3rd Infantry Division, said "the command team, in conjunction with the career counselor, wanted to get soldiers excited to reenlist." Army officials told Task & Purpose that the battalion’s new career counselor came up with the idea. They said 20 of about 130 eligible soldiers had reenlisted under the offer as of August 17, each for two to six more years.

CBS News reported that the offer is limited to this one battalion and is not Army-wide, though the program could be expanded. GTA 6 is due on November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.