According to Penny Marshall's memoir "My Mother Was Nuts", the part of Sergeant Cass was originally offered to Ving Rhames. He turned it down, as a friend (Quentin Tarantino) had written a part for him specifically in Pulp Fiction. When he turned the role down, it was offered to Gregory Hines. Penny Marshall's only concern was that Gregory Hines was too nice. Even when he was yelling at the troops, he came off as nice.
Scenes of the fictional "Fort McClane, Michigan" were filmed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Landmarks, the post's motto "Victory Starts Here", and the distinctive unit insignia of Fort Jackson, all reveal the true identity of the base.
In the barracks, Lillo Brancato's character reenacts a scene from Raging Bull (1980) starring Robert De Niro. Brancato's impression of De Niro for a talent scout one year earlier landed him his breakthrough role in De Niro's film A Bronx Tale (1993).
In their initial meeting, Captain Murdoch asks Bill if he has any military experience. Bill responds about his anti-war march to Arlington National Cemetery during the Vietnam War. In real life, standing at only 4'10", Danny DeVito was two inches below the minimum height to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.