Visible crew/equipment: When Cowboy, Joker, Rafterman and the other Marines are running across the buildings to get to Animal in the final sniper scene, watch the foreground. Right before they reach Animal, you can see they run by a crouching crew member, in the foreground at the bottom of the screen. (01:38:52)
Visible crew/equipment: When all the recruits hit Gomer Pyle with soaps while he's on the bed at night, the shadow of the camera can be seen on the left side of the screen projected on the recruits while they walk around the bunk bed. (00:29:19)
Answer: It was Gustav Hasford's idea. It happened in the original book that the story is based on, "The Short Timers."
Captain Defenestrator