A Few Good Men

Character mistake: Lt. Caffey (Tom Cruise) wants the two marines to plead guilty and take a deal because he doesn't want the to "spend the rest of their lives in Leavenworth (prison)." The United States Disciplinary Barracks is indeed located in Leavenworth, Kansas. And the US Army and US Air Force send convicted felons there to do their time. However, Marines and members of the United States Navy are sent to Portsmouth Naval Prison in New Hampshire. It is run by the Marines.

Nimzoman

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Suggested correction: It's perfectly within character that Caffey wouldn't know this. He's been in the navy a short time, never tried a case in a courtroom, and is generally uninterested in military protocol.

Character mistake: Some of Colonel Jessup's ribbons are in the wrong order, and his Combat Action Ribbon is backwards.

Character mistake: When LTJG Kaffee says "whatever happened to saluting an officer when he leaves the room?" It's well known that Kaffee doesn't know much about military protocols, but Marines and Sailors do not salute while uncovered, especially indoors. Army/Air Force maybe, but not the Navy or Marine Corps.

Visible crew/equipment: During the first credits, when the name Kevin Bacon appears on-screen there's a close-up shot of a bayonet. A white screen used for lighting and filming is perfectly visible reflected on the metal.

Sacha

Lt. Daniel Kaffee: My client is a moron. That's not against the law.

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Trivia: Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has a cameo as a lawyer in a bar talking to a woman about one of his cases.

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Answer: It's something done to one trooper in a unit who is not pulling his load, to let him know his teammates are tired of him making them look bad. It can range from a beating after lights out to scrubbing a soldier who won't shower with toilet brushes and Comet. (And yes, both of those are from my own military experience, though I wasn't the victim!) It's meant to give a warning and doesn't normally harm anything but the victim's pride. They are strongly against regulations in the past year or two as several soldiers were injured by their unit getting overzealous, just like in the movie.

Grumpy Scot

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