Tom Cruise awarded highest Navy honor for a civilian

Hollywood star Tom Cruise has been awarded the U.S. Navy's top civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Award.

On Tuesday, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro presented the 62-year-old actor with the award for outstanding contributions to the Navy and the Marine Corps at Longcross Studios near London.

"Tom Cruise has spent nearly four decades as an unwavering supporter of 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. When he received the honor, Cruise said he was proud of the "extraordinary acknowledgment."

Tom Cruise, right, receives a Navy Distinguished Public Service Award from The United States Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro presents at the Longcross South Studios, in Runnymede, Surrey, England, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

“I admire all of the servicemen and women,” Cruise said. "I know in life something that is very true to me is...to lead, is to serve. And I know that to my core. 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 public 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 boosted military enlistment. The Navy even set up recruitment tables in theaters.

His latest movie, "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," hits theaters on May 23, 2025.

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