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Hollywood star Tom Cruise has been awarded the US Navy’s highest civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Award.
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro presented the 62-year-old actor with the award for outstanding contributions to the Navy and Marine Corps at Longcross Studios near London on Tuesday.
“Tom Cruise has spent nearly four decades as an unwavering advocate for the men, women and families of the Navy and Marine Corps,” Del Toro said, according to the BBC.
Two of the movie star’s biggest hits, “Top Gun” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” celebrate the world of naval aviators. Upon receiving the honor, Cruise said he was proud of the “extraordinary recognition.”
Tom Cruise, right, receives a Navy Distinguished Public Service Award from U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, presented at Longcross South Studios, in Runnymede, Surrey, England, on December 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
“I admire all servicemen and women,” Cruise said. “I know in life one thing that’s very true for me is … to lead, is to serve. And I know that in my base. And I see that in the servicemen and women.”
His roles in “Born on the Fourth of July,” “A Few Good Men” and the “Mission: Impossible” series were also celebrated during the ceremony.
The Navy said the actor “increased the public’s awareness and appreciation for our highly trained personnel and the sacrifices they make while in uniform.”
In 1986, Cruise starred as Maverick in “Top Gun,” a film about Cold War flying aces. The film made the actor a star and prompted military enlistment. The Navy even set up recruiting tables in theaters.
His latest film, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” hits theaters May 23, 2025.
