Factual error: Ethan Shaw is mentioned throughout the movie as graduating from the Air Force Academy, and also as a Lieutenant by other characters. When his brother Jerry Shaw is shown his brother's ID by ARIA (the eagle eye computer,) the ID shows Ethan Shaw as a SMSgt (Senior Master Sergeant). This is impossible by Air Force standards, even if he was a genius. It cannot be part of a fake cover as listing a 20-something year-old as a SMSgt would be so obviously fake as to be useless. No one in the Air Force would believe it and anyone competant enough to design ARIA and the infrastructure to accompany her would not make such a ridiculous mistake.
Eagle Eye (2008)
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Directed by: D.J. Caruso
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Rosario Dawson, Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Chiklis
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More mistakes in Eagle Eye
Zoe Perez: You don't have a choice. Look. Now, neither of us know if either of those brothers are guilty or innocent, so on behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force, I'm going into that room.
Agent Thomas Morgan: Well, on behalf of all that fucking bomb equipment in junior pinhead's apartment, no, you're not.
Trivia: The voice of ARIIA is actually Julianne Moore who went uncredited for the role.
More questions & answers from Eagle Eye
Chosen answer: I'm pretty sure it's to prove to the people watching the movie and to both Jerry and Rachel what can happen if they disobey, as after this event they followed the orders from ARIA closely.