| 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." |
| Country | United States of America |
| Presented by | Central Intelligence Agency |
| Eligibility | Employees of the Central Intelligence Agency |
| Precedence | |
| Next (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][page needed]
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][failed verification] The agency has two awards for valor; the other is the Intelligence Star, which is analogous to the military's Silver Star.[4][5]
- ^ The very best men: four who dared, the early years of the CIA, by Evan Thomas, published by Simon and Schuster, 1996.
- ^ "Retired CIA Officers Receive Distinguished Intelligence Cross — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on 2014-04-01.
- ^ "CIA Medals: FACTBOOK ON INTELLIGENCE".
- ^ Bush at War, Bob Woodward, Simon and Schuester, 2002, page 317.
- ^ Gup, Ted (2000). The Book of Honor: Cover Lives and Classified Deaths at the CIA.