Tom Cruise attends the premiere of the motion picture drama Top Gun: Maverick at the USS Midway in San Diego, Calif., in May 2022. On Tuesday, Cruise accepted the U.S. Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award for his dedication to the Navy during his film career.File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

  Actor Tom Cruise on Tuesday accepted the U.S. Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award for his dedication to the Navy during his film career.

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro bestowed the award to Cruise during a formal ceremony held Tuesday in London, England, the Navy announced in a press release.

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

The award is the highest honor the Navy bestows upon a civilian outside the Navy Department.

The Navy Department said Cruise’s films greatly helped the Navy recruit pilots during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

“I’m happy to have been able to be a source of inspiration to many of the sailors who serve today or have served in the past,” Cruise said.

The award honors Cruise’s dedication to the Navy and Marine Corps after he starred as a naval aviator in Top Gun in 1986 and resurrected his role in Top Gun: Maverick in 2022.

Top Gun: Maverick is the only film to top the domestic box office during the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays and grossed nearly $1.5 billion in global box office ticket sales.

The film won an Academy Award for Best Sound in 2023 and was nominated for four others, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Cruise “has spent nearly four decades as an unwavering supporter of the men, women and families of the Navy and Marine Corps,” Navy officials said.

“His efforts in the film industry have increased public awareness and appreciation for the Navy’s highly trained personnel and the sacrifices they make while in uniform.”

Cruise credited teamwork for the success of the Top Gun films and other popular movies.

“The effort was not just on my end, but the cast and crew get to work with on all our sets,” Cruise said. “They are what really bring the work to life.”

The Navy Department said Top Gun: Maverick made older audiences nostalgic while reinvigorating younger viewers’ interest in the skills and opportunities the Navy provides them.

“The success of this portrayal led to Cruise being named the U.S. Navy’s 36th Honorary Naval Aviator,” the Navy Department said.