Alternate versions

The "Extended Cut" DVD includes 18 minutes' worth of deleted scenes re-edited back into the film (and most available separately in the menu):

• A longer discussion between John and Russell before they drive to the recruiting office
• A short addition to the training montage where Russell and Ox deal with a heavy trash can (not available separately, see below)
• A nine-minute scene in which John and Russell take LSD and accidentally end up on a mission in the Colombian jungle. They meet with rebels whom they smoke marijuana and take more LSD with. The rebels want to kill them but they escape by leading the rebels in a rendition of "Quando, Quando, Quando"
• After Hulka's injury, a false account by Stillman of how it happened (though John knows that Stillman was at fault)
• An extra minute in the EM-50 introduction scene where John and Russell are "volunteered" to watch it for the weekend (instead of just suddenly on guard for no reason)
• Love scenes between the two couples during their Germany vacation in which the women are nude
• A longer discussion between John and Russell before Russell agrees to save the men in Czechoslovakia

However, the DVD suffers from several flaws:

• The "Theatrical" version retains the trash can segment (about 12 seconds) and skips past the Germany vacation romp about 10 seconds too soon, cutting after "special exercises" and leaving out the mention of the suitcase John's brought
• The "Theatrical" version also executes the branching very poorly, with a noticeable pause for each of the six major deleted scenes and occasional brief hiccup in content at those points (including about 2 seconds at the end of the training montage)
• Only the 5.1 remix is available, not the original mono track
• The Extended Cut identifies the extra scenes with subtitles that cannot be disabled, and the disc provides no way to switch between versions without reinsertion

For the extended DVD release, the German version was completely redubbed.

The original theatrical release along with older home video releases originally had the opening and closing credits font colored pink. The 2005 extended cut DVD along with its subsequent blu-ray changed them to white. However the original pink credits were restored for the 2021 4K release.

5.1 remix adds many new sound effects like explosions and background ambiance and for a few scenes has some additional music not originally in the original mix.

Columbia pictures cut a shot of a girl washing her breasts from the Ontario, Canada version of the film in order to receive an adult entertainment (all ages admitted, parental guidance recommended) rating rather than Restricted (18 years or over).

The TV version omits all the nudity in the strip club scene, and replaces it with alternate takes, such as Psycho playing pinball.

The TV version also uses an alternate take as Sgt. Hulka leaves the barracks following Winger's "Big Toe" speech. It is a slightly different angle, and Sgt. Hulka's line is a little more TV-friendly.

The broadcast television version features an altered version of the scene where Captain Stillman is watching the female soldiers as they shower. In the original version they are entirely nude, however in the broadcast version they are only shown from the neck up.