Distinguished Intelligence Cross

The Distinguished Intelligence Cross is the highest decoration awarded by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. It is the agency's equivalent of the military's Medal of Honor or Service Cross, i.e., Navy Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross. It has been said[1] that the DIC is the equivalent to the Medal of Honor, but the MOH is awarded by the President of the United States in the name of the U.S. Congress and the DIC is awarded by the CIA.[2]

Distinguished Intelligence Cross
Awarded for"For a voluntary act or acts of extraordinary heroism involving the acceptance of existing dangers with conspicuous fortitude and exemplary courage."
CountryUnited States of America
Presented byCentral Intelligence Agency
EligibilityEmployees of the Central Intelligence Agency
Precedence
Next (lower)Distinguished Intelligence Medal
RelatedNational Intelligence Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross

The cross is awarded for "a voluntary act or acts of extraordinary heroism involving the acceptance of existing dangers with conspicuous fortitude and exemplary courage". Only a handful of people have been awarded this medal in the history of the agency, most posthumously. As such, it is one of the rarest awards for valor in the United States.[3] The Central Intelligence Agency has two awards for valor; the other is the Intelligence Star, which is analogous to the military's Silver Star.[4][5]

Known recipients

See also

References
  1. https://www.cia.gov/news-information/press-releases-statements/2013-press-releases-statements/cia-bestows-distinguished-intelligence-cross-upon-two-agency-legends.html
  2. https://fas.org/irp/cia/product/fact97/medals.htm
  3. The very best men: four who dared, the early years of the CIA, by Evan Thomas, published by Simon and Schuster, 1996.
  4. Bush at War, Bob Woodward, Simon and Schuester, 2002, page 317.
  5. Gup, Ted (2000). The Book of Honor: Cover Lives and Classified Deaths at the CIA.
  6. Leo F. Baker
  7. "Cold War arrest of US spies offers lesson for Iran diplomacy". Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  8. "Cold War arrest of US spies offers lesson for Iran diplomacy". Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  9. Star Agents: The anonymous stars in the CIA's Book of Honor memorialize covert operatives lost in the field. These are no ordinary deaths: Loved ones left behind mourn secretly and live tethered to bogus cover stories. In their struggles lies a remarkable strand of the agency's history Archived February 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  10. LATimes.com - Bay of Pigs: the Secret Death of Pete Ray
  11. http://www.newsweek.com/karzai-vogel-cia-afghanistan-officer-intelligence-langley-667320
  12. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/09/18/the-cia-acknowledges-the-legendary-spy-who-saved-hamid-karzais-life-and-honors-him-by-name/


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