National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal

This article is about Office of the Director of National Intelligence-awarded Distinguished Service Medal. For other U.S. versions, see Distinguished Service Medal (disambiguation).

Award

National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal

National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal

Type| Individual Award
Awarded for| sustained, 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 by| United States Intelligence Community
Eligibility| United States Government civilian and military personnel
Status| Active
Established| August 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]
Equivalent| National 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.

## Appearance

[edit]

The National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal is a gold colored medal 1+5⁄8 inches (41 mm) across. The obverse design consists of a white 16 pointed star surmounted by a gold heraldic rose. In the center of the rose is a dark blue disc bearing an eight pointed compass rose in gold. The reverse bears the words NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE, one word on each line, all in gold.[4]

The medal's ribbon, which is from the original, is 1+3⁄8 inches (35 mm) wide. The ribbon is white with 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) blue stripes at both edges. In the center is a 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) scarlet stripe flanked by 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) yellow stripes.[4]

Symbolically, the heraldic rose is a symbol of secrecy and confidence, referring to the term sub rosa which is Latin for "under the rose." That symbol has traditionally been used to describe something to be kept secret and not repeated elsewhere. Blue represents loyalty, and is taken from the seal of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The compass rose in the center of the medal symbolizes the world-wide mission of the organization, while the points of the white star also allude to compass points. The white color represents honesty, truth and optimism.[4]

## Known recipients

[edit]

* James B. Adams, FBI[5]
* Keith B. Alexander, NSA[6]
* Charles E. Allen, CIA, DHS[7]
* Lew Allen, PFIAB[citation needed]
* Jean Bennett, USA[8]
* Daniel E Bergin, Admiral, USN
* Cofer Black, CIA[citation needed]
* Dennis C. Blair, Admiral, USN, USPACOM[5]
* Matthew David Carter, CDR, USCG, NSA[9]
* James R. Clapper, DIA, NGA[10]
* Larry Combest, HPSCI[11]
* Robert Daniel, HASC[12]
* David J. Dorsett, VADM, USN
* Michael S. Rinehart, "Jolly Doc", USN
* Andrew Isaac Abrams
* Robert E. Drake, NSA[13]
* Michael H. Decker, OSD[14]
* Sidney D. Drell, PFIAB[15]
* Winford G. Ellis Rear Admiral, USN
* Fritz Ermarth, CIA[citation needed]
* Martin C. Faga, NRO[16]
* Alan A. Foley, CIA[17]
* Robert Gates, CIA[citation needed]
* Louis E. Grever, FBI[18]
* Michael Hagee, General, USMC, CIA[19]
* Jeffrey K. Harris, NRO[20]
* Eric Haseltine, NSA, ODNI[21]
* Richard Haver, ONI[22]
* John J. Hicks, NPIC, CIA[23]
* Frank Barrett Horton III, USAF, CIA
* Charles “Chuck” Wilson , NSA
* Sir Angus Houston, AK, AFC, Air Chief Marshal, RAAF
* Patrick M. Hughes DIA, USA[citation needed]
* Robert M. Huffstutler, NPIC, CIA[23]
* Joanne Isham, CIA[24]
* Kevin J. Jacobsen, Brig Gen, USAF, AFOSI
* Lowell E. Jacoby, Admiral, USN, DIA[25]
* James L. Jones, General, USMC[citation needed]
* Richard X. Larkin, United States, DIA[26]
* Meyer "Mike" Levin, NSA [27][28]
* Roland Lajoie, Major General, USA[29]
* Mark M. Lowenthal, CIA[30]
* L. Roger Mason, Jr., ODNI[31]
* Barbara McNamara, NSA[32]
* John Michael McConnell, Vice Adm, USN, DNI[33]
* Herbert E. Meyer, CIA[34]
* Richard W. Mies, Admiral, USN[35]
* Kenneth Minihan, LtGen, USAF, DIA, NSA[36]
* Thomas S. Moorman Jr., USAF[citation needed]
* Robert O'Brien, National Security Advisor
* James W. Pardew, JCS/J-2[37]
* Nickolas Piazzola, NSA[11]
* Lisa Porter, IARPA
* Richard Proto, NSA[38]
* John Scott Redd, NCC, USA
* Oliver Revell, NSC[39]
* Warren B. Rudman, PFIAB[15]
* Steven T. Shanzer, DIA[40]
* Harry E. Soyster, DIA
* Francis X. Taylor, USAF[41]
* Louis W. Tordella, NSA[42]
* Alan Wade, CIA[43]
* Jeffrey White, DIA[44]
* James A. Williams, LtGen, USA, DIA[45]
* Thomas R. Wilson, DIA
* Bassem Youssef, FBI[46]
* Eric Velez-Villar (FBI Executive Assistant Director)
* Scott D. White CIA Associate Deputy Director January 2010
* David T. Savignac, NSA
* Admiral William H. McRaven

## Recipients gallery

[edit]

* Barack Obama and James R. Clapper presented the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal to James L. Jones. (October 20, 2010)

## See also

[edit]

* Distinguished Service Medal (disambiguation)
* Awards and decorations of the United States government

## Sources

[edit]

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.
4. ^ a b c "National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal". The Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
5. ^ a b "Blair Takes Charge Of U.S. Pacific Command". www.pacom.mil. Archived from the original on 15 January 2006. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
6. ^ Eye Spy Magazine. Vol. XII Number 3 2014 p. 71
7. ^ "DHS | Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis Charles e. Allen". www.dhs.gov. Archived from the original on 11 November 2008.
8. ^ "universityofmilitaryintelligence.us". ww1.universityofmilitaryintelligence.us.
9. ^ "Awardees". NSA.GOV. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
10. ^ "Biographies : Lieutenant General James R. Clapper Jr". Af.mil. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
11. ^ a b "File Not Found". Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2008.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
12. ^ "Robertdaniel". www.stennis.gov. Archived from the original on 13 January 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
13. ^ "Robert Edwin Drake, 82; Served as Deputy Director of NSA". Washingtonpost.com. 19 January 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
14. ^ "Michael H. Decker Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Oversight". Department of Defense. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
15. ^ a b "Senator, Physicist Receive US Intelligence Medal". Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
16. ^ "MITRE - About Us - Board of Trustees - Mr. Martin C. Faga". Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
17. ^ "Argonne National Security Staff Bios: Alan A. Foley". Archived from the original on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
18. ^ "Board of Directors - IntegenX Inc". Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
19. ^ "AEI - Events - the Future of the United States Marine Corps". Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
20. ^ "Lockheed Martin Space Systems Names Jeffrey Harris President of Missiles & Space Operations in Sunnyvale, California". Thefreelibrary.com. 7 March 2001. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
21. ^ "About | Dr. Eric Haseltine".
22. ^ "APL Colloquium". www.jhuapl.edu. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010.
23. ^ a b "Historical Handbook of NGA Leaders" (PDF). Federation of American Scientists. Office of Corporate Communications. April 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
24. ^ "Honoring Joanne O'Rourke Isham, Director, Office of Congressional Affairs, CIA".
25. ^ "CACI Bios – Lowell E. Jacoby". Caci.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
26. ^ "Everly Funeral Homes". www.everlyfuneralhomes.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
27. ^ "Secrecy - A film by Peter Galison and Robb Moss" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 January 2010.
28. ^ "The Visual Challenge of Documenting Secrecy". Nieman Reports.
29. ^ "Major General Roland Lajoie's Biography". Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
30. ^ "AFCEA Educational Foundation". Afcea International. Afcea.org. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
31. ^ "Systems & Resource Analyses". Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
32. ^ "National Security Agency's Deputy Director Receives Top Intelligence Community Medal". Archived from the original on 1 November 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
33. ^ "NOMINATION OF VICE ADMIRAL MICHAEL McCONNELL TO BE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
34. ^ "Remarks: Presentation to Hebert E. Meyer – The National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, 25 April 1986" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 25 March 1986. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
35. ^ "The Future of the Nuclear Security Environment in 2015" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 November 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
36. ^ "Nexidia - Speech Intelligence. Delivered". Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
37. ^ "Pardew, James W". Retrieved 25 July 2009.
38. ^ Tribute to Richard Proto Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine
39. ^ "Advisors of Nat'l Security Associates Worldwide". Nsaww.com. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
40. ^ "Steven T. Schanzer Biographical Summary". Dtic.mil. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
41. ^ ""Terrorism: Threat Assessment, Countermeasures and Policy" - U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda, November 2001, Department of State, International Information Programs". Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
42. ^ "Dr. Louis W. Tordella". Archived from the original on 1 November 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
43. ^ "For Immediate Release". Triumfant.com. 8 January 2008. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
44. ^ "Jeffrey White". Archived from the original on 5 January 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
45. ^ "Camber Corporation". Camber.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
46. ^ "Is the FBI doing its best to combat terrorism?". NBC News. 4 December 2006. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021.