--- title: "We salute the Navy captain who took 700 sailors to see ‘Top Gun: Maverick’" description: "The captain of the USS Iwo Jima took his entire crew to see the movie over Memorial Day weekend in Virginia Beach." date: "2022-06-10" modified: "2022-06-10" authors: - name: "Max Hauptman" job_title: "Breaking News Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/max-hauptman.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/top-gun-maverick-iwo-jima/" categories: - "Military Branches" - "Navy" - "News" --- # We salute the Navy captain who took 700 sailors to see ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ ![navy captain top gun]() *Capt. Judd Krier (center) poses with two sailors at the movies. (Photo illustration by Paul Szoldra/USS Iwo Jima via Facebook)* This guy gets it. Capt. Judd Krier is the commanding officer of the USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship currently undergoing repairs in Norfolk, Virginia. It can be tough for the crew when a ship is in dry dock. The shipyard can be a [grueling and isolating environment]() for sailors. That has certainly been a reality for the [beleaguered crew of the USS George Washington](), which has been stuck pier-side since 2017. Sailors in dry dock sometimes endure non-stop construction noise or lack of water on a ship, while others may have to spend time on one of the Navy’s decrepit [berthing barges](). So last month, to raise the morale of the crew, Krier had an idea: how about a movie? Krier [took most of the crew](), everyone except a small section for security and fire-fighting watch, to see “[Top Gun: Maverick]()” as it opened Memorial Day weekend. That’s about 700 sailors. Reserving an entire local theater through the Morale, Welfare and Recreation officer, and even chipping in with popcorn and soda? That’ll raise anyone’s spirits. “It’s a chance for everyone to connect with a great Navy movie,” Krier [told DailyPress.com](), adding, “I know when I announced it, the whole crew was excited.” “Top Gun: Maverick” has gotten plenty of praise, as it delivers on everything we’d want from Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Dogfights, reuniting with Val Kilmer’s “Iceman” and, yes, beach volleyball. Basically the perfect movie for a Navy crew. The Navy has dealt with its fair share of [officer misconduct](), but there are still those out there working to improve the morale of their sailors. Maybe it is dressing up like Hulk Hogan or Randy “Macho Man” Savage for award ceremonies like [Cmdr. David Hollon](), skipper of the USS Chung Hoon. Or, in this case, providing thousands of dollars worth of movie tickets for sailors to enjoy. Let’s hope that came out of the ship’s budget and not Krier’s wallet, though. ## 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 Max Hauptman is a former breaking news reporter at Task & Purpose. He previously worked at The Washington Post as a Military Veterans in Journalism Fellow, as well as covering local news in New England. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Instagram]()