Distinguished Intelligence 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]}

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 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]

Known recipients

• Leo F. Baker, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion^[6]
• William F. Buckley
• John T. Downey^[7]
• Richard Fecteau^[8]
• Wade C. Gray, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion^[9]
• James Monroe, CIA paramilitary officer during Vietnam War ^[10]
• Thomas W. "Pete" Ray, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion^[11]
• Riley W. Shamburger, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion^[9]
• Greg Vogle, paramilitary officer and CIA trailblazer^[12][13]
• Molly Huckaby Hardy, posthumously for the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Nairobi^[14]
• David N. Tyson, for actions during the Battle of Qala-i-Jangi^[15]

See also

• Awards and decorations of the United States government