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July 3, 2022

Yea, verily; much has been written about the success of Top Gun: Maverick and what it means about our nation, the times in which we live, and the cultural turmoil we have been facing. What follows is just one Veteran’s point of view on…well, all of that.

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I completed 20 years and six months of service in the U.S. Navy. I am a former Officer and Naval Aviator who flew the A-6E Intruder and the FA-18 A/B/C/D “legacy” Hornet.

Thirty-six years ago, in Spring 1986, I saw the original Top Gun and, like many others with whom I served, I was highly motivated to join the Navy, to say the least. Fifteen years after retiring from active duty, I routinely reflect on the honor and privilege to have worn the uniform of the Armed Forces of the United States, to have served our country, and to have deployed in the aircraft carriers, the squadrons, and the carrier air wings that projected American power across the globe. Thirty-six years ago, it was my most earnest desire to do all that and to be a part of that which was innately understood to be something greater than myself.

How does the saying go? “It’s not bragging if you’ve done it.” And “Been there, done that, got the patch(es).” Ah, but with time and reflection, comes humility as well.

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Although I never went to the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, now famous as Top Gun, I had the privilege to serve alongside many superlative leaders and fighter pilots who did attend it, many of whom still serve today. I am better for having known them, having shared the bond of military service with them, and being able to call them “sisters” and “brothers.”

Top Gun: Maverick is a thrilling depiction of Naval Aviation and a portrayal of the supreme professionals who ensure its success on any given day. To me, it is also an accurate representation of the great Americans who serve in today’s professional military force and the necessary meritocracy that has been institutionalized in military service since our nation’s founding.

Top Gun: Maverick reminded me why I revere our country, military service, and those who serve: our nation’s military is a cross-section of America itself. The faces of the professionals depicted in the movie represented nearly every demographic, race, and ethnicity of our American citizenry. If identities were what one was looking for, they were well-represented—and what one sees in the movie accurately depicts those who serve throughout the military as well as those found in the squadron Ready Rooms. The depth of heart, character, and capability portrayed was in line with my own experiences, both past and present.

There was no assertion of “systemic” oppression; there was no portrayal of a “patriarchy” that sought its own gain at the subjugation of women; only rank— earned through merit and achievement—retained real or perceived privilege. There was little if any political correctness but, instead, the eminently talented Aviators, “the best of the best,” were a tough crowd who exuded an esprit de corps, confidence, and adherence to the highest standards of performance needed to accomplish the mission at hand. To have been tasked to join that select group, to have been in the same room breathing the same rarified air, meant you earned the distinction, belonged there, and could complete the mission.

In short, what was portrayed was a meritocracy, where one was accepted based on one’s accomplishments, achieved results, and demonstrated success in the toughest of environments. Nothing less can be accepted.

Throughout my experience, the “competition” and enmity between individuals, which was depicted in the original Top Gun between Maverick and Ice Man, bordered on hype, mere imagination, and “creative license” by those who were never close to the action but who felt such “conflict” was necessary to heighten the drama. Without a doubt, being a member of an elite team of fighter pilots requires thick skin because every training mission is fully debriefed. Each individual’s judgment, decisions, and execution are closely scrutinized and evaluated. In the Navy, every carrier landing is graded and debriefed face-to-face. However, the spirit and intent are to make the individual and the team better, to gain and apply lessons learned, because as “Viper” said in the first Top Gun, “The tip of the spear best be sharp.”