Factual error: Calendar date at the very beginning of the film (in the police station), shows the dates of Saturday 20th/Sunday 21st July 1983. However the 20th and 21st July 1983 fell on Wednesday and Thursday.
Factual error: At the very beginning of the film, Gunny Highway learns that he's being reassigned to the 2nd Marine Division. The 2nd Division, located at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, is situated on the NC coast; there are no mountains in the immediate vicinity. However, when the Gunny trains his platoon, he does so in the hills of another Marine training camp located in California. There is a big difference between California and North Carolina.
Factual error: Towards the end of the movie Lieutenant Ring is ordered to escort the rescued students to Cherry Point. When they arrive they are actually at MCAS El Toro, not MCAS Cherry Point. Any Marine who has been at both air stations can immediately tell the difference.
Factual error: At the end of the movie when Gunny Highway and his men land at what is supposed to be Cherry Point, the band playing the music should be the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band, but is in fact the 1st Marine Division band as can be seen by the 1st Marine Division insignia on the drummer's drum.
Continuity mistake: When Gunny Highway first introduces himself to his recon team, he walks into their barracks building. This building was at the end of a row of barracks. Minutes later, when Highway walks out the back end of this building, he actually comes out of a different building further up the street.
Continuity mistake: When Highway first assembles his men, it is meant to be very early morning (5:00 am.). Judging by the very short lengths of the shadows, it is quite obvious that it is around noon.
Factual error: When the Recon Team were in Grenada, you don't see Swede carrying extra ammo belts for his M60. Neither does he have a buddy who could carry the additional combat load assuming they would be in boxes.
Continuity mistake: In the beginning of the film Clint Eastwood is sitting in jail on a bunk. When he gets up to fight, he hands his well chewed cigar to the young kid on his right. After he decks the bald man and sits back down the young man hands him a now fresh cigar.
Continuity mistake: When lifting off from the ship, the Marines board a twin engine (Marine Corps) Huey. When they drop in the water, they drop from a single engine (Army) helicopter.
Continuity mistake: During the invasion of Grenada, the faces of the Recon Team lose their camouflage paint while Gunny Highway retains his.
Continuity mistake: Halfway through the film when Gunny Highway takes the troops on a run, one of his Marines suggests he's lost. Stitch Jones says "C'mon, let's smoke this sucka." All the troops run past Highway, with Jones leading the way. When the shot turns to a rear view, Jones is the last one to pass Highway.
Factual error: When Highway is walking in front of the flag pole, the colors are being retired and the bugle call is "Taps". When the colors are retired the bugle call is "Retreat". Taps isn't played until lights out at 2200 hours (10 P.M.).
Continuity mistake: Highway and Choozoo are in the bar when Little Mary Jackson tells them that their battalion has gone on full alert. They both leave the bar and it is night time (also a cut away clip of Aggie being driven past in a convertible car shows darkness). The scene then cuts to the barracks and throughout the scene, you can see through the thin curtains that it is daylight outside. The scene then cuts back to the parade ground and it is night time again. (01:04:00 - 01:06:00)
Continuity mistake: During the opening, the camera is shooting from a helicopter. The shadow of the helicopter is seen running across the building in the scene.
Deliberate mistake: While recon platoon is marching in their modified pt uniform, Gunny has "Cojones" call a cadence. Meanwhile Sgt. Webster maintains control of his formation, but from the wrong side. No platoon leader ever marches their unit from the right side of the formation.
Continuity mistake: When Highway goes to his ex-wife's house and pours her a beer in a glass, it has about an inch of head on it. When the camera angle changes there's no head on the beer.
Revealing mistake: As Sgt. Highway turns the dead body with a cigar in the pocket you can see its right arm move to avoid twisting. (01:38:05)
Continuity mistake: In the last scene on Grenada, when the Col. lands his copter, it lands with the port (left) side of the copter facing the rock retaining wall. After the Col. tells Highway and Choozoo to "Get out of my LZ." As Highway and Choozoo walk away the starboard (right) side of the copter is facing the rock wall. You see the tail facing the camera.
Revealing mistake: Near the end they land on the island. After they cross a bridge a soldier shoots an explosive and blows up a machine gun position. Just after that, look at the muzzle of Highway's rifle. It isn't open like it should be but has a type of plug to ensure only blanks can be used.
Factual error: As they are walking among some trees in Grenada, during an overhead shot an American robin's warning call is heard. There is no way that bird is on Grenada.
Chosen answer: Gunny Highway insisted that they all wear the same shirts as he himself was wearing. If they showed up in a different one, he made them go shirtless. The reasons for this were 1) to break through their rebellious attitudes and teach them to follow his orders, 2) to make them look and feel unified, and 3) to develop resourcefulness and adaptability in them.
Chanteuse66
To also display esprit de corp to other units gaining them respect from those units as well as command leadership.