Pete “Maverick” Mitchell has been decorated for his service in real life.
The U.S. Navy has awarded Tom Cruise the branch’s top civilian honor — the Distinguished Public Service Award, The Associated Press reported.
U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro presented the “Top Gun” actor with the award during a ceremony at Longcross Studios where Cruise is working on a film.
The award was a certificate and a medal and was given for his films that had “increased public awareness and appreciation for our highly trained personnel and the sacrifices they make while in uniform.”
“I admire all of the servicemen and women,” Cruise said, according to the AP. “I know in life, something that is very true to me, is that is to lead is to serve. And I know that to my core. And I see that in the servicemen and women.”
“Top Gun” helped increase enlistments. The Navy set up recruitment sites at movie theaters at the time. “Top Gun: Maverick” saw Cruise become a mentor to new pilots and “brought nostalgia to older audiences and reinvigorated the minds of newer audience members, which effectively targeted a younger audience’s interest into the skill sets and opportunities the Navy can provide.”
In addition to “Top Gun” and its sequel, Cruise also starred in other military-related films such as “Born on the Fourth of July” and “A Few Good Men.”
Cruise’s next film, “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning” is slated for release in May and is currently listed in post-production on IMDB.
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