National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal

National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal
National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal
TypeIndividual Award
Awarded forsustained, selfless service of the highest order, and/or extraordinary and long lasting contributions to the Intelligence Community and the United States by an individual in a position of great responsibility.
Presented byUnited States Intelligence Community
EligibilityUnited States Government civilian and military personnel
StatusActive
EstablishedAugust 15, 1993 (Director of Central Intelligence Directive 7/1); revised May 23, 2007 by ODNI Intelligence Community Directive Number 655
National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal ribbon
Precedence
Next (higher)National Intelligence Medal for Valor[1]
EquivalentNational Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal
Next (lower)National Intelligence Superior Service Medal[1]

The National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal (NIDSM) is a decoration awarded for service to the United States Intelligence Community. The decoration is awarded to any member or contributor to the National Intelligence Community, either civilian or military, who distinguishes themselves by meritorious actions to the betterment of national security in the United States of America, through sustained and selfless service of the highest order.[1]

The National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal was once considered junior to the older National Security Medal.[2] With the establishment of the National Intelligence Awards (NIA) Program by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal was the highest decoration in the program.[3] An update to the NIA program added awards and changed precedence, with the NIDSM being succeeded by the Intelligence Community Medal for Valor in the order of precedence.[1]

As an authorized U.S. non-military decoration on U.S. military uniforms, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal is worn after U.S. military unit awards and before U.S. military campaign and service awards.

  1. ^ a b c d "Intelligence Community Directive Number 655" (PDF). 9 February 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  2. ^ "Director of Central Intelligence Directive 7/1". irp.fas.org.
  3. ^ "Intelligence Community Directive Number 655" (PDF). fas.org. Director of National Intelligence. 23 May 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2014.