Distinguished Intelligence Cross Explained

Distinguished Intelligence Cross
Presenter:Central Intelligence Agency
Country:United States of America
Eligibility:Employees of the Central Intelligence Agency
Awarded For:"For a voluntary act or acts of extraordinary heroism involving the acceptance of existing dangers with conspicuous fortitude and exemplary courage."
Lower:Distinguished Intelligence Medal
Related:National Intelligence Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross

The Distinguished Intelligence Cross is the highest decoration awarded by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. It is given 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 a consequence, it is one of the rarest awards for valor in the United States.[1]

The cross is the agency's equivalent of the military's Service Cross, i.e., Navy Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross.[2] [3] The 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

Notes and References

  1. The very best men: four who dared, the early years of the CIA, by Evan Thomas, published by Simon and Schuster, 1996.
  2. Web site: Retired CIA Officers Receive Distinguished Intelligence Cross — Central Intelligence Agency . www.cia.gov . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140401203256/https://www.cia.gov/news-information/press-releases-statements/2013-press-releases-statements/cia-bestows-distinguished-intelligence-cross-upon-two-agency-legends.html . 2014-04-01.
  3. Web site: CIA Medals: FACTBOOK ON INTELLIGENCE.
  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. http://39th.org/39th/aerial/62nd/Crew_51/bakerleo.htm Leo F. Baker
  7. Web site: Cold War arrest of US spies offers lesson for Iran diplomacy . 2013-12-30.
  8. Web site: Cold War arrest of US spies offers lesson for Iran diplomacy . 2013-12-30.
  9. Web site: Pete Ray, Leo Baker, Riley Shamburger, Wade Gray - CIA . 2022-08-12 . www.cia.gov.
  10. Web site: CIA at war. www.cia.gov. November 27, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20240614073228/https://www.cia.gov/resources/csi/static/CIA-at-War-1.pdf . 2024-06-14 .
  11. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-mar-15-mn-29130-story.html LATimes.com - Bay of Pigs: the Secret Death of Pete Ray
  12. Web site: The CIA honored the officer who saved Hamid Karzai's life. Newsweek. 18 September 2017.
  13. News: The CIA acknowledges the legendary spy who saved Hamid Karzai's life — and honors him by name . 2021-10-28 . 2017-09-18 . Ian Shapira . . Washington, D.C. . 0190-8286 . 1330888409.
  14. Web site: 20th Anniversary of the US Embassy Bombings in East Africa — Central Intelligence Agency . www.cia.gov . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180402225207/https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2018-featured-story-archive/anniversary-of-us-embassy-bombings-in-east-africa.html . 2018-04-02.
  15. Harnden, Toby, "First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11". Little, Brown, 2021. p. 310-311

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