गूफ़

When Gunny Highway orders his platoon out the first time it is supposedly 5 o'clock in the morning, yet the sun stands high above casting short shadows.

Highway's cigar gains length during the prison fight.

During the assault, the camouflage paint on Gunny Highway's face and other Marines rubs off and is nearly wiped clean at times, but is later in place.

When Gunny Highway is leading Stitch back to his bunk by his ear, their orientation to each other changes between shots.

When Highway encounters re-con platoon for the first time ("No speaka English" and "No habla") he pushes the hut door open with his left hand but in the next shot, from inside the hut, it's his right hand pushing the door open.

In the beginning of the film, when Highway stands to attention as the colors are being lowered at sunset, the bugle call being played is "Taps". However, the correct call is "Colors". Taps is played later in the evening at Lights Out.

Just before the mission into Grenada, the fully-camouflaged Lieutenant Ring is wearing a shiny silver bar on each collar point. This is never done in combat, because reflective metal makes the wearer easy to spot. In 1983, a USMC First Lieutenant would wear a black bar on each BDU collar point.

When the command officers arrive during the emergency deployment readiness exercise Major Powers says "Ten-hut" (attention). The proper call would have been "Attention on Deck".

While scrambling around the barracks before the Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise, Jones mentions Aponte "getting his big cartoon face back here before he does time for doing 'A-W-O-L'". The Marine Corps does not use the term "AWOL". The Navy and Marine Corps analogue for AWOL is actually UA (Unauthorized Absence).

Throughout the movie, the 2nd Reconnaisance Battalion appears to only consist of two platoons of Marines. A Marine Corps or Army battalion normally consists of companies, which, in turn, consist of platoons.

The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge occurred in 1951. The invasion of Grenada occurred in 1983. A gunnery sergeant is prohibited from re-enlisting after 24 years of service. About the longest Highway could have served would have been just short of 30 years, or 1981. He could not have participated in the Invasion of Grenada. Choozoo mentioned that he and Highway were in the Army during Korea, and joined the Marine Corps later. It isn't said how much later, so it's possible that Highway got out of the Army for several years before he rejoined in the Marines.

When Highway confronts Swede in the barracks, Swede is made to appear significantly taller than Highway. This was an exaggeration enhanced by camera angles; Peter Koch (Swede) is 6'6", Clint Eastwood is 6'4". This is not a goof, but a technique that is constantly used in films and television.

In the opening shot, a shadow of the helicopter that is holding the camera can be seen as it circles the prison. This occurs in many establishing shots throughout the history of movies.

On the bus, Jones bums a beer because he forgot his plastic. After the diner meal, Jones offers to pick up the tab with his plastic, to show his appreciation. But Jones is later shown to be dishonest about whether or not he has money.

When Aponte turns over one of the dead Cubans at the bridge, the supposedly dead soldier moves his legs to make it easier for Aponte to roll him over.

When the Marines engage in the firefight with the Cuban soldiers, one of the "dead" Cubans jumps when the Marine who is next to him fires his weapon.

When Highway gives Aponte the money from the "Sergeant's only fund," he appears to only hand him 2 or 3 one dollar bills.

At the beginning, when Gunny is in the jail in 1983, it's possible to see a calendar indicating Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July 1983, but actually 20th July 1983 was Wednesday and 21st July was Thursday.

When Jones and Highway first met on a bus, Jones supposedly was soaking wet (it was raining hard outside). But when he sat down beside Highway, he's already dry.

During the rifle range scene, Jones shows up with a steel pot helmet in an attempt to tease Gunny Highway for being old. He is admonished and told to remove it and wear the standard issue Kevlar helmet instead. Since the film takes place in 1983, the steel pot helmet was the standard issue at the time, so Jones's wearing of it would've been proper. Kevlar was not the standard issue helmet for Marines until 1985-86 (when the movie was filmed).

One of the Marines is wearing an Iron Maiden "Aces High" t-shirt, about 35 minutes into the movie. Aces High was released in 1984, and the movie takes place in 1983.

When Jones is in the head after the bear pit, he is playing his guitar. While it is obvious that is is not plugged it, it clearly sounds amplified.

During the end credits, the music is out of synch with the visual; to wit, the band marching away has their right foot on the down beat. For any military musician, to make an error on that would be VERY difficult - it's hammered into you.

When Highway starts the marching cadence at the end of the 5:00 AM scene, the cadence doesn't match the footwork of the Marines when they are marching away from the camera.

When the band is playing during the formal dance, two trumpet players are shown standing and playing, but the sound of trumpets is not heard on the soundtrack. In addition, the melody played by the trombone soloist on the soundtrack is using slide vibrato, while the trombone player in the film does not move his slide.

Highway is supposedly reporting for duty at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, but the gate and am-trac display is Camp Pendleton, California.

When the Marines are on the rifle range there are mountains in the background. There are no mountains within about 500 miles of Camp Lejeune, NC.

The final scene was supposed to be located at MCAS Cherry Point, home of Marine Air Refueler Transport Squadron 252 (VMGR-252). However, the insignia on the hangar is that of the VMGR-352 Raiders, revealing this scene to have been filmed at MCAS El Toro, California.

The final scene is supposed to be at Cherry Point, MCAS, North Carolina, but hills can be seen in the distance; Cherry Point just has pine trees.

The 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) is based out of Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. Most of the training scenes (pre-invasion) were filmed at Camp Pendleton, California.

When the platoon is briefed at the start of the Grenada assault, they are told they are to recon ahead of the main assault; however, the assault is clearly underway and troops are ashore well before the platoon has been dropped.

When Choozoo and Aggie come to take drunk Highway out of the police custody after paying the bail, Jones, who shares the cell with Highway by chance, joins them on account of helping carry the drunk man out. He exits the station free even though he was incarcerated for a non-related misdemeanor and no one paid the bail for him.

During the "Match up" at the bear pit, dog tags are missing from all the participants. Even when Gunny and the Major strip to their T-shirts, there are no tags.

In the morning scene in which all the men wear the same black t-shirt as Highway, when "right face" is ordered, Swede performs the facing by kind of slinging his right leg around, rather than pivoting on his heel.

Major Powers introduces himself to Colonel Meyers by saying his rank and name, and then "Annapolis, Class of '71." Though this is done simply to show Major Powers for the blowhard that he is, even the worst officer wouldn't introduce himself in such a manner. Major Powers should have introduced himself by simply stating that he was the operations officer of 2nd Battalion. At that, the Colonel would have likely already known who he was anyway.

In the final scene, Corporal Jones tells the Gunny Sgt. Major gave him some Re-Up papers. Only the Army refers to re-enlisting as "Re-Up". In the Marine Corps you "ship over".