Forensic DNA testing has revealed the man as Jimmy Mack Brooks, a veteran who was 26 at the time of his death nearly 50 years ago.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III issued the approval Saturday in accordance with Directive-Type Memorandum 19-011. That policy allows service academy graduates to pursue employment in professional sports immediately following graduation.

Historians say U.S. military leaders hoped the formation of the 29th would help to reconcile a still-divided nation, and the unit went on to make history in World War I and World War II. Now, the blue-gray insignia is under scrutiny by the congressional Naming Commission.

Almost four decades after the original, and after sitting on the shelf for two years due to the pandemic, "Top Gun: Maverick" is flying full throttle into a new world.