Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise and Jerry Bruckheimer named ‘Honorary Naval Aviators'

The two were designated as the U.S. Navy’s 35th and 36th Honorary Naval Aviators.

Alex J. Berliner/ABImages

Actor Tom Cruise and film producer Jerry Bruckheimer received an honorable award for their work in the upcoming film TopGun: Maverick which is scheduled to premiere on July 2, 2021.

The two were designated as the U.S. Navy’s 35th and 36th Honorary Naval Aviators, presented by the Commander of Naval Air Forces, Vice Adm. DeWolfe Miller III, during a ceremony in Los Angeles’ Paramount Studios on September 24. 

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, according to a press release.

The citation for the award stated that Cruise and Bruckheimer made an effort to ensure that their film was as authentic as possible.

The citation stated that “its characters, dialogue and imagery are ingrained in the minds of an entire generation of Americans,” and “significantly promoted and supported Naval Aviation and put aircraft carriers and naval aircraft into popular culture,” the press release explained.  

The Top Gun movie franchise is named for the U.S. Navy’s Fighter Weapons School, also known as “TOPGUN,” based at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, which provides advanced tactics training for Navy and Marine Corps aviators. 

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