Are soldiers required to have a Government Travel Card?

Yes. If you travel, it is the required way to pay for your travel expenses.

I got one but never use it

Its great way to fund your TDY or get a PCS Travel Advance. It is a mandatory program. It allows reimbursement in days sometimes as opposed to months.

In order to go to schools it's required and there is an annual training on the GTC every year.

Never had to use one, but it would have been nice knowing that it was available.

Only if you have to travel on the Goverment's $. Otherwise you won't need it.

Yes you are required to get a GTC. When you are going TDY or PCSing, you have to utilize the travel card. The only exception is if your credit won’t allow you to attain a travel card...

Government Travel Charge Card Regulations: Authorized by DoDI 5154.31, Volume 4
June 2017
http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/Docs/regulations/GTCC.pdf

I wanted to check into this myself because after 22.5 years of active duty service, I have not obtained one. I have been told many times to apply for one, and have on some occasions just to have the form lost or otherwise not filed. I don't have many objections to having one, but I have my finances in good order enough to afford any travel the military ever imposes upon me. Besides, 0403

GENERAL TRAVEL CARD INFORMATION
*040301. Individually Billed Accounts (IBAs) within the body states, "The individual cardholder is liable for payment of the full undisputed amount indicated on the billing statement no later than the due date, regardless of the status of their travel reimbursement."

This statement scares the crap out of me and my Soldiers, because of the possible failure of the system, they are liable for the charges that their commander mandated.

0404 TRAVEL CARD ELIGIBILITY
*040401. DoD Personnel
All DoD personnel, unless otherwise exempt, who perform travel as part of their duties will obtain and use an IBA travel card.

0406 EXEMPTIONS
040601. GSA Exemptions from the Mandatory Use of the travel card (IBA)
The GSA has exempted the following classes of personnel from the mandatory use of the travel card:
A. DoD personnel (military or civilian) who have an application pending for the travel card.
B. Individuals traveling on an invitational travel order/authorization.
C. New appointees/recruits.

040602. DoD Exemptions from Mandatory Use of the travel card (IBA)
These exemptions do not apply to DoD personnel (military or civilian) who are denied travel cards because they do not accept the terms and conditions of the cardholder agreement, such as refusing to: (1) complete (to include SSN and residential mailing address) and sign the account application form, or (2) permit a credit check. The exemption also does not apply when DoD personnel (military or civilian) cancel their cards, for whatever reason, to include disagreement with existing or revised terms and conditions of the cardholder agreement.

I know I am chiming in a bit late to this conversation, but I wanted to look into it myself, I did, don't really like what I found, but that is the way the ball bounces isn't it?
I hope we can all make the systems better as time goes on, I know for a fact they have improved since I was a Private many years ago. As I face retirement in a little under 18 months, I am stuck here applying once again for a GTC, not that I'll use it when I get it, probably sometime after the issuance of my DD214, or maybe soonerish. Only time will tell.

I hope you will take this information to your Soldiers and spread the knowledge.

I have the same question. I know there will be controversy with what I am about to say cause I am weird and don't believe in the almighty FICO score and that it does not measure my wealth, but that is measures a persons love with debt. I am a Dave Ramsey follower and drink the kool-aid. I have not used a credit card in over 3 years. I plan to get my credit score to 0. I have been told that I may be required to take a credit card out in my name. That makes no sense to me. I have had one before many years ago as an E-5. This is how it usually played out. I payed travel on GTC Card. DTS was filled out and submitted, then I payed the entire bill on card, then the Government paid me re-reimbursement. So it is just a circle of payment, and I was the one getting yelled at because I was waiting for DTS to pay card, when it was a week from being late due to the system they said it was my responsibility to pay. I digress... I pay everything with cash (and debit card is cash). I live on a budget. I would be willing to have a checking debit card with say $5,000 meant for military travel expenses in order to waiver the GTC credit card. I have been told that there was a recent lawsuit that sided with the defendant the the Government can not force a person to take a credit card because of the government monopoly with citibank. Does anyone know of a waiver or know of this legal battle that had taken place regarding GTC?

It depends on your command , but I will caution you the army has gotten real funny with DTS like for lodging airline tickets if you have a gtc you get reimbursed or you decline to get one your loosing out on some nice tdy money