The veterans of the U.S.S. Missouri that Stone Hopper mentions are real life vets of the U.S.S. Missouri. Some served in World War II.
Hopper's order to drop the port anchor in order to rapidly swing the ship around to the opposite direction is a real-life maneuver known as clubhauling. It's very risky, but it allows a ship to re-tack in combat or an emergency. Clubhauling was used almost exclusively on sailing ships which were much lighter and easier to steer. A clubhaul on an Iowa class battleship would likely cause severe damage and injury.
In March 2012, Army Colonel Gregory D. Gadson, who plays Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales, became Garrison Commander of Fort Belvoir, just south of Washington, D.C. Colonel Gadson is the first bilateral amputee to serve as a Garrison Commander to any post in the United States Army.
The convenience store break-in at the beginning is a parody of a security video posted on YouTube, which went viral, of an actual liquor store break-in. Like the film, the robber climbed from the back of the store and fell down to the same spots from the ceiling twice. Both have the same camera angles and details, such as the foam and ceiling pieces falling down.
USS Missouri was taken out of port for one day in 2010 for filming purposes crewed by US Navy personnel.
Ray Mabus: At the beginning of the RIMPAC exercise, Admiral Shane orders the Commanding Officer (CO) of the U S.S. Ronald Reagan to begin air operations. The Carrier C.O., who then gives the order to "commence air ops", is played by Secretary of the Navy Mabus.