At a ceremony in London, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro gave the Top Gun: Maverick star the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor the secretary can bestow on a civilian outside the Department of the Navy.

While Cruise’s work on the two Top Gun films is likely a big reason for the honor, Secretary Del Toro also cited Cruise’s decades of work from 1986 to 2023, a span that also included Born on the Fourth of July, A Few Good Men and the Mission: Impossible movies.

“It was an honor to present Tom Cruise with a Defense Public Service award for his decades of naval advocacy through many movies,” said Secretary Del Toro. “His work has inspired generations to serve in our Navy and Marine Corps.”

Indeed, after the first Top Gun hit screens in 1986, recruitment for Navy pilots surged in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In addition, the Navy noted that, more recently, Top Gun: Maverick “brought nostalgia to older audiences and reinvigorated younger viewers’ interest in the skill sets and opportunities the Navy provides.”

Also on hand for the ceremony was Cruise’s Mission: Impossible, Top Gun: Maverick and Jack Reacher collaborator Christopher McQuarrie.

“I’m happy I have been able to be a source of inspiration to many of the sailors who serve today or have served in the past,” said Cruise. “The effort was not just on my end, but the cast and crew I get to work with on all our sets. They are what really bring the work to life.”

It’s not the first naval honor for Cruise. In 2020, he and Top Gun producer Jerry Bruckheimer were named Honorary Naval Aviators during a ceremony at Paramount. The accompanying citation specifically called out their work on the original film.

“In the history of motion pictures, there is not a more iconic aviation movie than the 1986 Paramount Pictures film Top Gun. Its characters, dialogue and imagery are ingrained in the minds of an entire generation of Americans. The movie captured the hearts of millions, making a profound positive impact on recruiting for Naval Aviation,” and “significantly promoted and supported Naval Aviation and put aircraft carriers and naval aircraft into popular culture.”

As Honorary Naval Aviators, Bruckheimer and Cruise are “authorized to wear the ‘wings of gold’ of a U.S. naval aviator and are entitled to all honors, courtesies and privileges afforded to Naval Aviators.”