Tom Cruise has been awarded the US Navy’s highest civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Award.
Top Navy officials praised Tom Cruise for spending decades supporting the men and women of the United States armed forces via his films.
Cruse’s Top Gun Surge Miltary Enlistment
The 62-year-old actor, best known as Maverick in Top Gun (1986), expressed heartfelt gratitude after receiving the award.
He called the award an “extraordinary acknowledgment” as he paid tribute to all men and women serving in the United States military.
“To lead is to serve, and I see that in every serviceman and woman,” Cruise remarked while standing beside US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, who presented the medal.
The Navy credited Cruise with inspiring a surge in enlistment after Top Gun’s release.
The Navy credited Cruise with inspiring a surge in enlistment after Top Gun’s release and praised Cruise’s decades-long support for the Navy and Marine Corps.