Tom Cruise only acted when he played a decorated naval pilot Top Gun movies, but the star was actually awarded one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a non-military person by the US Navy.

Cruise, 62, who first portrayed Peter “Maverick” Mitchell on film Top Gun films, was recently awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. The actor was honored for his “outstanding contributions” to the military during a ceremony on Tuesday 17 December at Longcross Film Studios in Chertsey, Surrey. Success Top Gun he was notoriously responsible for the surge in military service at the time of his release.

The actor accepted the honor and expressed his gratitude for the recognition.

“I admire all servicemen and women,” Cruise told people at the event. The actor also added, “I know there’s something in life that’s very true to me, that to lead is to serve. And I know that deep down. And I see it in servicemen and women.”

Users on Reddit took to the comments section of a news post about the actor to share their thoughts on the Navy’s decision to award him.

“He pretends to be in the army and gets a medal for ACTING… ridiculous…,” one user complained, while another added: “Shouldn’t it be given to someone who has shown exceptional bravery or courage rather than giving it to an actor .”

A third user disagreed, writing: “At first I thought ‘bulls**t, but he’s probably the single person responsible for the most recruiting in the Navy.’ A fourth chimed in, writing, “These two movies have done more for the US military (and being in love with your best friend) than anyone can really measure,” referring to Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick.

Cruise was reportedly in Chertsey, Surrey, filming his next movie, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoningwhich is due out on May 25, 2025.