Top Gun Maverick

June 6, 2022

‍

First up in this month’s VET: happy belated Memorial Day. I hope everyone got to take some well-deserved time off, enjoy family and friends, and remember those that have given the ultimate sacrifice for this nation

‍

This past Saturday I went to see Top Gun: Maverick with my family. I’ll admit I got a bit emotional watching with my son as I remembered watching the original movie in the theatre with my father. And yes, to address the 800-pound gorilla in the room: after seeing Top Gun, I badly wanted to be a naval aviator. Alas, my eyesight wasn’t up to snuff and so I “settled” for West Point. But, that movie did influence me; shortly after seeing it, I began to explore military service as an option after high school graduation. The movie influenced my wife as well. Although she graduated from a civilian college, she became a JAG lawyer after graduating from law school.

‍

I’ll try not to include any spoilers, but suffice to say, if you liked the original, you’ll like the sequel. If you’ve read anything about the movie, Tom Cruise was calling the shots, and it’s a better movie because of it. Apparently, he refused to be involved unless Ice Man (Val Kilmer) was written into the script. He also wanted all the flying scenes to be realistic; all the actors went through flight training and ACTUALLY FLEW F-18s.

‍

The movie is great entertainment, but it also illustrates how military service builds valuable characteristics in veterans – loyalty, teamwork and dedication to the task – that can be valuable in many aspects of life, and are certainly applicable to the fast-paced environment inside a growth company:

‍

• Loyalty: the sequel is set ~30 years after the original, and Maverick is still in the Navy…barely. Although he has obtained the rank of Captain, he has bounced around from post to post in a variety of dead-end jobs. At one point, a superior officer asks Maverick why he’s still in the Navy, and he replies with a quote from the original movie (when he’s in hot water with a superior officer): “just want to serve my country and be the best fighter pilot in the Navy.” But in an era where employees bounce from one company to another, Maverick’s attitude and behavior highlight how loyal he is to the mission. Loyalty is a hallmark of veterans, and you can count on them to commit to the mission of your company.
   
• Teamwork:Maverick’s job in the movie is to train a young group of fighter pilots for a dangerous mission. Several of his superior officers decide to micro-manage Maverick’s training regimen, and they mandate that he pick the only the most accomplished pilots for the mission. As his name would imply, Maverick defies this order. To be effective, he knows it will require teamwork, and he decides instead to pick a group of pilots that gel and form the best team. Veterans understand that any mission or task requires looking past differences to form a team focused solely on success.
   
• Dedication: in the opening scene, Maverick is tasked with flying in an experimental aircraft program that, moments before the flight, is canceled by his boss. His boss is not on site, however, and so again, Maverick defies orders with the goal of succeeding. When his boss does show up, he asks , “Why didn’t you just quit and save your job?” to which Maverick replies, “because I was trying to save theirs [referring to the employees working on the project.]” Dedication to both the mission and teammates is a hallmark of veterans.

‍

Walking out of the movie I asked my 14-year old son what he thought. His response? “Those pilots were awesome…makes me want to explore becoming a Naval aviator.” Uh oh.

‍

Charlie Mike*

‍

Dave & the Summit Partners Veterans Community

‍

* “Charlie Mike” is the military phonetic alphabet for the letters C and M which stand for “continue the mission,” a phrase commonly used in tactical situations