Goofs

DI SSgt Loyce (played by Lee Ermey) picks up the platoon of recruits at receiving as a Sgt, but is later seen as a SSgt with no explanation as to why or when he was promoted.

On the march to graduation, the platoon is wearing long sleeve khaki shirts and field scarves. During the ceremony they have somehow changed into short sleeve shirts (minus the field scarves)

Throughout the movie 105 MM Howitzers are used for fire support artillery. They are obviously are firing blanks as the barrel does not recoil when fired.

When Pike, Foster, Fazio, and Bisby are arrested and taken to the brig, the brig Lieutenant says that the charges against Pike are AWOL - Absent Without Leave and resisting arrest. AWOL is a term used by the Army. Since Pike is a Marine recruit, the Lieutenant should have said that Pike was charged with UA - Unauthorized Absence which is the term used by the Marine Corps.

When the platoon completes basic training, it is Sgt Loyce that marches the platoon to graduation and then dismisses them after the ceremony. This is incorrect. When a Marine Corp platoon graduates from recruit training, it is always the Senior Drill Instructor, in this case SSG Aquilla that would march the recruits across the parade ground and then dismiss them.

Only recruits from west of the Mississippi are sent to boot camp in San Diego. Washington (Chicago) and Fazio (Brooklyn) would have gone to Parris Island.

Tyrone Washington who is from Chicago and Vinnie Fazio who is from Brooklyn would not have gone to Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego, California for basic training. Because the 2 men lived east of the Mississippi River, they would have gone to MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina.

It's erroneously claimed the M-16 does not have a magazine in reverse shots when Washington prepares to shoot the captain; in reality the mistake is in positioning of the M-16 against the .50 cal's barrel in the opposing shots. Careful inspection of each view clearly demonstrates the presence of a magazine inserted into the weapon.

The Ford troop trucks they are riding in right after they arrive in Vietnam are 1973-74 models.

When the Marines are in-country, Sergeant Curry(Noble Willingham) begins his leering speech to the men "Today is the day of the start of a new body count....the man who scores the biggest body count gets two days of R and R at China Beach", the soundtrack has him saying this speech but his mouth isn't moving. A few seconds later he continues his speech, his mouth is now seen moving but it's not matching the words he is saying.

Santos Morales is credited as "Sergeant Aquilla", but the rank he wears in his scenes is that of a staff sergeant.

When Washington and SSG Loyce are in the duty office, Washington asks the DI to "remove your hat, Sir". Anyone who's been in the Marine Corps would know any type of headgear is referred to as "cover". Hard to believe the Gunny let this one slip.