Military

"Bunch of glorified Boy Scouts!"

- Trevor Philips.

The  are featured in every game of the Grand Theft Auto series, except Grand Theft Auto 1, Grand Theft Auto IV and its episodes (only military vehicles). The five branches of the armed forces have all appeared at least once within the series.

Description
As implied, they are the armed forces of the United States of America, comprising mostly of the Army, but also with air and naval bases. The military themselves doesn't appear in Grand Theft Auto IV because it enhances realism; they would not be sent to arrest one person and because the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the use of federal military personnel and units of the National Guard under federal authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within the United States, except where expressly authorized by the Constitution or Congress. NOOSE somewhat replaces the military from previous games; however, the military reappears in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online, but it is no longer considered as a law enforcement group, its role still having been replaced by NOOSE.

Grand Theft Auto 2
After getting a six-head wanted level, the military will replace the police. Pedestrians disappear and normal cars become a rare sight. The soldiers in Grand Theft Auto 2 are armed with machine guns and can easily kill Claude Speed and destroy cars. The military uses different vehicles such as Pacifiers, Land Roamers and a Tank. The military has its base in the Residential District but the base is inaccessible. However, there is a small base in the Industrial District in which it can be accessed during the mission Army Base Alert!

3D Universe
After the player gains six stars in a 3D Universe game, the Army will begin to chase the player. On the ground, two military vehicles are used to kill the player: the Barracks OL, which is used for roadblocks, and the Rhino tank for pursuit. The soldiers themselves are always well-armed with weapons that will often make short work of the player and most vehicles.

Members of the military behave as a gang in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and its prequel, despite not being an actual gang and will attack the player if spotted on military property, unless in a Cop uniform. They will also set up roadblocks comprised of the Barracks OL and soldiers armed with M16s in GTA III and M4 Carbines in every other 3D Universe game. These aren't as lethal as those of the FBI since there could be two FBI vehicles taking up one road with at least eight agents. But seeing as how the Barracks takes up the space of one road, they can be broken through although the MP5s still pose an extreme threat. In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Hydras will appear in the air if the player obtains a 4-star wanted level and is flying an aircraft, and will try to shoot them down. These Hydras, however, are actually piloted by police officers from the specific region/city that spawned from despite being a military-exclusive vehicle. The only time where a military can pilot these vehicles are the missions N.O.E. and Vertical Bird.

A strange thing is that soldiers in the Fort Baxter Air Base never participate in law enforcement activity; if the player is wearing a police uniform or Army fatigues and enters the base with a wanted level, only the law enforcement officers that enter from outside the base will try to kill the player.

The military seen in the 3D Universe are apparently members of the. The makes a brief appearance in San Andreas, where they have implemented a naval base in San Fierro, and the  itself makes an appearance in the mission N.O.E..

HD Universe
The military does not appear in Grand Theft Auto IV, nor in its episodes, with its role being taken by NOOSE and FIB instead. Like in GTA 1, a few vehicles based on military vehicles appear in the game: the Annihilator, the APC, and the Buzzard. However, these vehicles are used for law enforcement purposes in the game, except for the Buzzard, which is considered illegal.

In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, after gaining six stars, the Rhino and occasionally on-foot infantry will appear. Soldiers are armed with AK-47s at all times. While encountering an occupied Rhino, the player cannot hijack the occupied Rhino; however, there are two ways the Rhino will react depending if the player is on foot or in a vehicle: If the player is in a vehicle, the Rhino will immediately fire at the player's vehicle, setting it aflame (but not blowing it up, allowing the player to bail out and save his or her life); however, if the player is on foot, the Rhino will reluctantly fire, giving the player ample time to escape. The very slow speed of the Rhino makes it easy for the player to outrun it on foot. The Rhino will eventually fire at the player if the player stays in range on foot for too long. A direct hit usually kills the player unless the player has full health and full armor, but will reduce the health to roughly 25% and armour to 0%. The same goes for the Destroyer when the player enters the water.

In Grand Theft Auto V, the military is now present in Fort Zancudo outside of missions. While the military regains its ability to enforce the law, it is not part of the wanted level system anymore, taking part only when the player is nearby. Similar to GTA IV, NOOSE and FIB replaces their role of an elite law enforcement force. If the player trespasses in Fort Zancudo, the military personnel will be alerted and will attack the player on sight. Also, if the player acquires a wanted level and is at the boundaries of the base, the military will be deployed to supplement any active law enforcement officers in the area, with the ability of arresting the player or shooting to kill; if the player goes too far from the base, the military will return to base, handing over control of the situation to the authorities instead. Members of the military are part of the as confirmed by their quotes; the US Navy makes a brief appearance in Grand Theft Auto Online in the mission Humane Raid - EMP, where the players must raid the USS Luxington ATT-16 aircraft carrier and steal a Hydra, before being confronted by a US Air Force squadron. personnel also make an appearance, guarding the coastline of several restricted areas such as the Los Santos International Airport.

When attacking the player, soldiers are not armored unlike in the 3D Universe, but have heavy firepower, including Carbine Rifles as weapons, and Crusaders, Barracks and Rhinos as vehicles. Also, the military may occasionally use a P-996 Lazer for air support, which is able to shoot the player down with missiles when he is using an aircraft/helicopter, or even attack him on foot using the Lazer's machine guns and missiles.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

 * Sir, Yes Sir!
 * Cop Land

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 * Robbing Uncle Sam
 * Black Project
 * Green Goo
 * Up, Up and Away!
 * Vertical Bird

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

 * Soldier
 * Conduct Unbecoming
 * Over the Top

Grand Theft Auto: Online

 * Humane Raid - EMP
 * Base Invaders
 * On Maneuvers
 * Extradition

GTA V

 * Cargobob
 * The Paleto Score
 * Monkey Business
 * Rampage Four

Military bases

 * Fort Baxter Air Base in Vice City Mainland, Vice City
 * United States National Guard Depot in Ocean Docks, Los Santos, San Andreas
 * Easter Basin Naval Station in San Fierro, San Andreas
 * Area 69 in Bone County, San Andreas
 * K.A.C.C. Military Aviation Fuel Depot in Las Venturas, San Andreas
 * Fort Zancudo near Mount Josiah, San Andreas

2D Universe

 * Tank
 * ICBM
 * Land Roamer
 * Tiger Tank
 * Pacifier

3D Universe

 * Barracks OL
 * Cargobob
 * Freight (in Green Goo)
 * Hunter
 * Hydra
 * Launch
 * Mesa
 * Patriot
 * Rhino

Uncontrollable

 * USS Numnutz submarine
 * LHD-069 amphibious assault ship

Other

 * Jetpack (prototype, stolen by CJ in 1992)
 * Rustler (former)

HD Universe

 * Annihilator
 * Barracks
 * Barracks Semi
 * Besra (training)
 * Buzzard
 * Crusader
 * Cargobob
 * Destroyer
 * Hydra (formerly used by Royal Air Force）
 * Miljet
 * P-996 Lazer
 * Rhino
 * Savage
 * Titan
 * Valkyrie

Uncontrollable

 * Panzer II (formerly used by Nazi Germany)
 * T-34 tank (formerly used by Soviet Union)
 * USS Luxington ATT-16 aircraft carrier

Other

 * Bodhi (former)
 * Dubsta 6x6 (marketed as a military truck)
 * Duneloader (former)
 * Hunter (seen in advertisements but not in-game)
 * Kalahari (French military)
 * Squaddie (seen in advertisements but not in-game)

Known Military Personnel
United States Armed Forces
 * Mills - General, Area 69
 * Lee - General
 * Fitzgibbon - Army Colonel, retired
 * Henry Bolt † - 66th Cavalry Colonel, Fort Carson, died during the rescuing mission in 1842 along with his whole force in accident near Las Barrancas
 * Fuhrberger - Colonel, Vietnam veteran, retired
 * Cuddles - Colonel, if was at Army at all
 * James P. - Colonel, Australian-American War veteran, if was at Army at all
 * Unnamed colonel - Colonel, Fort Zancudo
 * Officer Hershel- Possibly, as indicated on the award above his badge
 * Beverly McFadden - Commanding Officer, Fort Baxter Air Base
 * Michael Klebitz - Captain, serving in the Middle East
 * Kyle P. Slater - First Lieutenant
 * Jerry Martinez † - Army Sergeant, Fort Baxter Air Base, was killed commiting military crimes
 * Peppah - Army Sergeant, Fort Baxter Air Base
 * Nolan - Army Sergeant, Fort Zancudo
 * Dud Clark - Army Sergeant
 * Victor Vance † - Army Corporal, Fort Baxter Air Base, dishonorably discharged
 * Scott Wilson - Army Corporal, deceased
 * Clark - Army Private, Fort Zancudo
 * Brincat - Army Private, Fort Zancudo
 * Cam O'Flarge - Army Private, Fort Baxter Air Base
 * Parts - Army Private, Fort Baxter Air Base
 * Places - Army Private, Fort Baxter Air Base
 * Starkie - Army, Fort Zancudo
 * Lloyd - Army, Fort Zancudo
 * Solarin - Army, Fort Zancudo
 * Gusset- Navy, USS Luxington ATT-16
 * Unnamed Navy Officer- Navy, USS Luxington ATT-16
 * Don Percival - Navy Seal, formerly
 * Jim Fitzgerald † - Marine Corps, formerly
 * Mr Lopez - Marine Corps, member of Silent Drill Platoons, awarded with Navy Cross, ran out the Army
 * Alan McClean - Marine Corps, retired
 * JT Boyd - Marine Corps, retired
 * Mitch Baker - Vietnam veteran, awarded the Purple Heart for burning down Vietnam village
 * Jerry Kapowitz - Vietnam veteran
 * Clinton - Vietnam veteran
 * Larry Joe - Vietnam veteran
 * Bobbie Ray - Vietnam veteran
 * Ray Machowski - Vietnam veteran
 * Phil Cassidy - military service unknown due to contradictory reports
 * Clay Simons † - Vietnam veteran, guarded U.S. Embassy during Fall of Saigon in 1975.
 * Terry Thorpe † - military personnel, formerly
 * Cletus Ewing - wearing dogtags, details unknown
 * Rob - possibly served in Air Force, if at all. Veteran of unnamed wars or operations.
 * Maxim Rashkovsky - former Army researcher, imprisoned but was later broken free.

Soviet Armed Forces
 * Kenny Petrovic's Father - veteran of World War II and the Battle of Stalingrad
 * Mikhail Faustin † - Navy, formerly
 * Dimitri Rascalov † - Navy, formerly
 * Andrei † - Army Private, formerly

Israel Defense Forces
 * Mori Kibbutz
 * Rami Yalon - Special Forces

Army of Republika Srpska
 * Goran † - leader of a squad, was killed during Bosnian War
 * Niko Bellic - Army and Air Forces, formerly, Bosnian War veteran
 * Mijo † was killed during Bosnian War
 * Dragan † - was killed during Bosnian War
 * Dmitar † - was killed during Bosnian War
 * Florian Cravic - Bosnian War veteran
 * Darko Brevic - Bosnian War veteran, military criminal

Provisional Irish Republican Army
 * Derrick McReary - The Troubles veteran

Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure
 * Pierre La Ponce † - Secret Service Agent

Other Militaries
 * Juan Garcia Cortez - Colonel in unnamed Latin America country
 * Claude Wome - Warlord in unnamed African country
 * Trevor Philips - Air Force pilot in an unknown military force, either the or the US Air Force

Known Military Units

 * Special Airborne Unit
 * Ghost Squadron
 * 4th SYFM
 * 9th Squadron Special Operations
 * 1st Cavalry Division (PS3/Xbox 360)
 * 16th MP Brigade (PS3/Xbox 360) - the insignia has the background of the JFK SW School
 * 135th Airborne Division (PS3/Xbox 360)

Clothing
Throughout the series, the military has been dressed in traditional woodland camouflage pattern. In GTA III, they are shown as wearing simply an olive drab uniform with a helmet. Troops stationed at Fort Baxter Air Base wear M81 Woodland uniforms that was standard-issue during the 1980s. The same seems to carry over into GTA San Andreas, although an urban camouflage pair of trousers can be purchased in Binco, soldiers are never seen wearing them. In Vice City Stories, the outfit seems to resemble an M81 Woodland Pattern, aside from that worn by Corporal Victor Vance, who instead wears an untucked tan t-shirt with standard trousers, no patrol cap, and unbloused boots. In GTA V, there are two different types of uniforms. The infantrymen wear a uniform with a camouflage pattern that closely resembles the Universal Camouflage Pattern, modern U.S. Army standard issue uniform, but the pattern in game is not digitized. The Air Force pilots wear a green flight suit, similar to in real life. However, these flight suits do not have any proper insignia or badges. So far, the outfits are not purchasable in any available store, although trousers of such can be bought in GTA San Andreas, which come in Woodland and Urban patterns. While the Army Fatigues can be re-unlocked in Vice City Stories, they do not resemble what the other soldiers wear, making Vic Vance stand out.

The Military in GTA V have two sets of uniform, the first one being the standard uniform used by the patrolling troops in Fort Zancudo, the outfit itself is simply basic camouflage and occasionally the soldier will wear a Marine Corps style 5-point utility cover as well. The other uniform is seen in the missions: The Paleto Score and Monkey Business, the troops in these missions will wear complete combat gear including a kelvar helmet (and or a gas mask in Monkey Business), body armor, and knee pads. This variant also appears driving Rhinos defending Fort Zancudo, and may rarely spawn out of Rhinos, near the smaller control tower. Air Force pilots can also be found at Fort Zancudo, taking off or landing with P-996 LAZERs or Titans. Pilots with helmets are encountered in Minor Turbulence.

Another kind of uniform, seen only on U.S. Navy sailors stationed on the USS Luxington ATT-16, is an off-duty uniform which consists of simply a t-shirt and trousers with or without blue digital camouflage. They are also seen wearing flight suits.

General

 * The Military are not in Grand Theft Auto IV. This is believed to be because Rockstar planned on making GTA IV realistic unlike San Andreas' over-the-top style. Although the Military reappeared in Grand Theft Auto V, they are not used as law enforcement or sent after the player for crimes except in the mission "The Paleto Score" in which at some point the Army will show up with soldiers and tanks to fight the player, or if the player is in or near the base.

3D Universe

 * In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the soldiers at the Fort Baxter Air Base are considered to be part of the Streetwannabe's gang, and the cops will pursue them as they do with Street Criminals and gangs. Soldiers will not fight back If they are attacked by fist or a melee weapon, but will kill off all the cops that are attacking them if the cops pull out their pistols and shoot at them. This also happens with any law enforcement members in Vice City, except the Army who pursues the player at a six-star wanted level, although this kind of Army will also attack the Soldiers who appear at Fort Baxter.
 * The main Military Bases are as follows: Fort Baxter Air Base (GTA Vice City), Easter Basin/Area 69 (GTA San Andreas), and Fort Zancudo (GTA V). Despite the Army having a attack helicopter in the 3D Universe games, so far no Soldiers use them, except for scripted circumstances.
 * In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, some soldiers from a Barracks OL will drop a Pump Action Shotgun when killed despite that they are not using it on a gunfight.
 * Also in GTA San Andreas, they rarely use pistols instead of Carbine Rifles which makes them less dangerous than soldiers that carry their exclusive weapon.

HD Universe

 * The military seen in Grand Theft Auto V appears to be a mix of the Army, Marines and Air Force, as they wear Army pattern camouflage, and they refer to themselves as both "soldiers" and Marines. Air Force personnel are also present and wear flight suits.
 * In GTA Online missions, various enemy gangs and Merryweather mercenaries will use the same dialogue lines as the soldiers from single player. Their dialog then may become strange as they regularly shout, "I'm a fucking Marine!"
 * The aforementioned quote could mean most of the military seen in GTA V are Marines. This is also supported by one of the quotes, "Semper Fi," which is short for Semper Fidelis, the U.S. Marines' motto, green undershirts, the 5-point utility cover and rolled sleeves worn by some troops, and the Cargobob that reads "MARINES" on it.
 * Despite not being law enforcement, the military in Grand Theft Auto V have very similar AI to Cops and NOOSE, not shooting, but busting players at 1 star; however, they will switch their weapon to a pistol before performing a vehicular arrest.
 * Though the military do not normally attack the player at any wanted level in GTA V, there are exceptions. If the player attempts to talk to a soldier standing in front of the Fort Zancudo memorial, they will push, and threaten them. If the player doesn't walk away, the soldier will pull out his Carbine Rifle and open fire. When the player enters Fort Zancudo: an alarm will sound and all units will be told to kill the player. An automatic four-star wanted level is also given. if the player threatens the soldier with a firearm. he will open fire.
 * Though hard, it is possible to lose the wanted level by hiding in certain bunkers in the northern part of the base. If you effectively lose your wanted level, the soldiers may pull out a phone.
 * Something to note is if the player is close to Fort Zancudo and has a wanted level, the military will be sent out instead of the police.
 * The military as stated above will attack the player even if they are not in Fort Zancudo but within range of it. The vehicles sent out are mainly Crusaders and Barracks but if the player continues to kill soldiers, Rhino tanks are then sent out.
 * Soldiers on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game can be seen wearing real life army division insignia such as 101st Airborne and 1st Cavalry. However, this is replaced by Rockstar-made divisions in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game, apparently to avoid copyright issues, and branch tapes are also incorrect; "Army" is seen instead of "U.S. Army," and it's featured on the left side instead of the right.