Trivia / Act of Valor

• Backed by the Pentagon: Among other things, filming at Navy training facilities, support from Navy aircraft and ships, including a submarine, and active-duty Navy SEALs playing the main characters. Interestingly, the Navy claims that no taxpayer money was used, as the combat scenes were filmed during scheduled training exercises.
• Breakaway Pop Hit: "For You" by Keith Urban.
• California Doubling: The scenes set in the Philippines were shot in Cambodia.
• Cast the Expert: Pretty much everyone in uniform was played by then-active-duty military personnel. The SEAL platoon was played by real life SEALs because, supposedly, no stunt man was physically capable of pulling off what they needed.
• More Dakka: The filmmakers stressed repeatedly that the most of the gunfire seen in the film was shot during live fire exercises and because SEALs are constantly practicing to hone their skills, they went through a healthy number of bullets by the time production wrapped.
• What Could Have Been: There is an alternate cut floating around where the scene between Chief Dave and Lieutenant Rorke aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard goes differently. Instead of a conversation about flags, patriotism, and lineage, the two discuss Rorke's impending transfer out of the SEALs to a desk job with Dave needling Rorke about becoming a paper commando and Rorke pretending to take offense. It's a subtler scene that reinforces the friendship between the two men.