- The name of this episode is a play on the name of the film Saving Private Ryan.
- The sergeant’s banter with Brian includes lyrics from Tina Turner’s “Private Dancer”, and Primus’ “Sgt. Baker”.
- The scene showing an Iraqi terrorist about to behead an American on camera, only to be stopped by democracy kicking in in Iraq, is a reference to the beheadings of Nicholas Berg, Jack Hensley, and Eugene Armstrong.
- Another scene parodies a photograph of Sabrina Harman and Charles Graner posing behind a human pyramid of naked Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib prison, which is turned into college students in a human pyramid literally collapsing in chuckles.[1]
- The boot camp scene uses some of the dialog from similar scenes in Full Metal Jacket and An Officer and a Gentleman. The scene where the drill sergeant discovers a half-eaten bird in Brian’s foot-locker parodies a similar scene in Full Metal Jacket where a jelly donut is discovered. The drill sergeant’s “steers and queers” remark is used in both Full Metal Jacket, and An Officer and a Gentleman.
- The birthday telegram delivery by Zinédine Zidane is a reference to his headbutt of Marco Materazzi during the 2006 FIFA World Cup final.
- The cutaway where Peter meets a therapist is a reference to Dr. Katz, which was animated in Squigglevision.
- After a suicide bomber blows himself up near Stewie and Brian, part of Stewie’s distress call is "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," a soap opera satire from the mid-seventies. He also says “Charlie Tango Cash”, which references to the 1989 film Tango & Cash starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell.
- Stewie misunderstands the location of their deployment to be "Fraggle Ir-rock," rather than Iraq, referring to the Jim Henson children's show Fraggle Rock.
- After Chris falls through the floor at the school dance, Mayor West is seen playing poker with the dogs from a notable painting series by C.M. Coolidge.
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