Tom Cruise, known for his fictional role as the most famous in the world Top Gunwas decorated by the U.S. Navy and awarded its highest civilian honor for “his distinguished service to the Navy and Marine Corps.”

The actor was presented with the Distinguished Public Service Award during a ceremony in London on Tuesday. The Navy praised Cruise for increasing “public awareness and appreciation for our highly trained personnel and the sacrifices they make in uniform” through his work Top Gun, Born on July 4th, A few good menand the Mission impossible film franchise, according to the Associated Press.

“I admire all servicemen and women,” Cruise said. “I know that in life, something that I hold dear is that leading is synonymous with serving. And I know that to the core. And I see that in the soldiers.”

Cruise, who starred in the original Top Gun in 1986 (it was the highest-grossing film at home and abroad that year), returned with its sequel in 2022 Top Gun: Maverick. Like the first film, the sequel was a commercial success, grossing almost $1.5 billion worldwide. This makes it the second highest-grossing film of 2022 and Cruise’s highest-grossing film of his prolific career.

According to the Navy loner “sparked nostalgia in an older audience and reinvigorated the minds of newer viewers, effectively stimulating a younger audience’s interest in the capabilities and opportunities the Navy can offer.”

Cruise stars next year Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning The film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 23rd. It is the eighth part of the series Mission: Impossible Series.