Is there an issue that is preventing people from joining GDI I have been trying for over a week now and it is jut perpetual failure

You cannot join GDI if you have made at least one attack or harmful spyop since the start of the reset. Not a bug. An expensive mistake for certain.

Also, if you're trying to do it from the bonus page, you have to join GDI first from the main menu page and then go to bonus and check the free GDI box

GDI is special in Primary and Express - you must join it before making an attack, if you've done one its impossible
once you join it, nobody can hit you with a missile, br or ab unless you double tap them
gdi does not protect you from bottomfeeding in primary (no 50% rule)

they really should write the differences up somewhat bigger as it can be imposible to find unless you actually read the small print on the gdi page