--- title: "‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has military kids realizing their parents are badass" description: "In the wake of the \"Top Gun: Maverick\" release, people on TikTok are sharing their parents' real-life Top Gun accomplishments." date: "2022-06-06" modified: "2022-06-06" authors: - name: "Haley Britzky" job_title: "Former Army Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/haley-britzky/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/top-gun-2-military-kids-parents-tiktok/" categories: - "Field Guide" - "Military Branches" - "Military Life" - "Navy" - "News" --- # ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has military kids realizing their parents are badass ![]() *(Screenshots via TikTok)* Military parents around the country rejoice: You just got a little more interesting to your kids. “Top Gun: Maverick,” which [debuted on May 27]() after being [delayed]() almost two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has given young people on TikTok a perfect opening to [brag on their parents]()’ own real-life “Top Gun” accomplishments. Almost exclusively set to Kenny Loggins’ “Highway to the Danger Zone,” [the videos]() feature photos from their parent’s time at the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, otherwise known as TOPGUN, as well as patches, callsigns, flight suits, and plaques. “My dad is so cool he was that top 1%,” one user’s viral video says, before showing a Navy Fighter Weapons School plaque from 1993, and various photos of fighter jets and men in uniform. It ends with a man, who is presumably the user’s father, smiling next to a “Top Gun: Maverick” movie poster. https://www.tiktok.com/@madisonwalker/video/7103864256977784110?_t=8Sw9kYgqieA&_r=1 Another similar video also shows off photos, plaques, patches, and keepsakes on a bookshelf. The video is captioned: “\[Point of view\]: your dad was the real life Maverick.” “Thank you so much for all the nice comments!!” the user commented on their video. “My dad is so shocked by the outpour of support!! https://www.tiktok.com/@thisisntsher/video/7104075337964850478?_t=8Sw9ws0B1kQ&_r=1 The long-awaited “Top Gun” sequel, complete with aviator sunglasses, shots of Tom Cruise on a motorcycle, and shirtless beach activities, has brought in millions since it opened. CNN [reported on Sunday]() that globally, the film has brought in $548.6 million so far. According [to Deadline](), it’s already set a domestic record for Tom Cruise, who returns in “Top Gun: Maverick” as Capt. Pete Mitchell. > [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today**]()**. Get the latest in military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily.** Aside from showing kids that their parents are badasses, the film has taken over TikTok in other ways, too. There are videos of guys [shaving their facial hair]() into a mustache like Rooster’s (and Goose’s before him), pilots [sharing real footage]() from inside their cockpits, and clips of the uh, [other 99%](). https://www.tiktok.com/@shannonbf23/video/7104049810130554158?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1 Whatever it may be, it’s no doubt that “Top Gun: Maverick” has the youths talking about the military, and the Navy, in a way they weren’t just a few months ago. At the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, TikTok was flooded with joking videos from Generation Z requesting [not to be drafted](), and highlighting how people were spamming [Vladimir Putin’s alleged Instagram account]() with messages asking him not to start World War III. https://www.tiktok.com/@mwiese2/video/7105175390695525674 Now, some people are commenting that the movie was so cool it almost makes them want to join up themselves. One video [says just that](), to which other TikTok users concurred, saying they researched the Navy right after watching the movie and joked that they’re re-thinking their career choices. It’s unclear what kind of impact the new “Top Gun” could have on recruitment, though [the Navy]() — and even the [Air Force]() — are hoping it delivers a nice bump in numbers. And it’s not too much of a stretch to expect one; the original “Top Gun” resulted in [a big recruiting boom]() for the Navy. Either way, “Top Gun: Maverick” has already succeeded in one seemingly-impossible feat: Making parents cool again. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **Someone apparently** [**leaked classified Chinese tank schematics**]() **to win an online argument** - [**Flip-flop-wearing Air Force commandos saved 2 lives**]() **on the way back from training** - [**How Ukraine is using artillery**]() **to stop Russian forces in their tracks** - **The Navy might have a garage sale for the Littoral Combat Ships** [**they just built but don’t want**]() - **Ukrainian fighter calls US soldier for help** [**fixing Javelin missile launcher**]() **Want to write for Task & Purpose?** [**Click here**]()**. Or check out the latest stories on** [**our homepage.**]() ## Author Haley Britzky was the Task & Purpose Army reporter from 2019 to 2022. She previously worked at Axios covering breaking news. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]() [Twitter]()