Cast member Luis John Soria, a retired US Army Sergeant First Class, presented director Samuel Fischer with an authentic United States Army Unit Coin while on set filming the ISF Recruiting Mission segment. Soria received this coin in 1991 for his participation in the Gulf War, aka Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield. Ironically, in this film Soria plays an Iraqi soldier.
Many of the actors were--at the time--members of the Minnesota National Guard.
Kyle Vogel and Lt Tripp have a playful argument over whether corn is a vegetable or a grain but never arrive at an answer. In fact, both are correct. Corn is a vegetable because it is cultivated for its edible parts but it is also a grain because it is the dry seed of a grass species. According to the Whole Grains Council, "Fresh corn is usually classified as a vegetable, and dried corn (including popcorn) as a grain."
When the WW2 staff sergeant mentions the 'All Americans', it's a reference to the nickname of the 82nd Airborne Division. Their famous shoulder patch is a stylized AA, which stands for 'All Americans'. It dates back to the formation of the division in 1917, when it recruited from across the USA, at a time when army divisions traditionally still recruited at a regional level.
James Cromwell is the son of John Cromwell. James plays the younger Vogel character, as John portrays the elder Vogel.