The Marines shown during Heller's rescue are not actors, but actual Marines serving with Marine Special Operations Training Group; They had just completed a 12 month deployment to Iraq a few weeks prior to the shooting of the episode. They filmed their scenes separately from Kiefer Sutherland and William Devane.
The episode won 2 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Stunt Coordination and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series.
Jack Bauer and President John Keeler are the only two characters in this episode that have ever appeared in a previous season of the show.
The facility the Marines rescue Jack (Kiefer Sutherland), James Heller (William Devane) and Audrey Heller (Kim Raver) from is the same filming location used as Novgorod 21 in Alias Season 3 Episode 20.
Filming timeline of The Rescue: initial technical scout of location was on 7th October 2004, with the senior USMC advisors plus crew coordinators led by 2nd unit Director Tim Iacofano. An Army scale model Cobra, being tactfully repainted prior to discussing planned use of airspace. Began actual filming 13th October. As revealed on BtS, documentary Lock and Load.