FAS Note: This directive has been superseded by Intelligence Community Directive 655, May 2007.

DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTIVE 7/1 (1)

Intelligence Community Awards

(Effective 15 August 1993)

Pursuant to the provisions of the National Security Act of 1947, Executive Order 12333, and other applicable laws, policies and procedures are herewith established which provide for honor and merit awards for exceptional service on behalf of the United States Intelligence Community.

1. Purpose

This directive establishes honor and merit awards that may be conferred by the Director of Central Intelligence; sets the criteria for recommendation for and approval of such awards; and establishes the Intelligence Community Awards Review Panel (ICARP), to review nominations, recommend appropriate action, maintain records, and arrange presentation of awards.

2. Intelligence Community Awards

The National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal will normally be awarded on a very selective basis for distinguished meritorious service or achievement to the United States in a duty of great responsibility within the Intelligence Community, the outstanding accomplishment of which distinctly benefits the interests of the United States and constitutes a major contribution to the foreign intelligence or counterintelligence mission of the Intelligence Community.

The National Intelligence Medal of Achievement may be awarded for especially meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service to the United States by a member of the Intelligence Community. This award recognizes performance of an especially difficult duty in a clearly exceptional manner. The service being recognized must relate directly to the Intelligence Community's mission to provide the intelligence required for national security policy determinations.

The National Intelligence Certificate of Distinction may be awarded for sustained superior performance of duty of high value by a member of the Intelligence Community, or it may be awarded for a significant single act of special merit.

The National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation may be awarded to a unit or group whose collective performance has resulted in accomplishments that are of a clearly superior nature and are of significant benefit to the mission of the Intelligence Community.

The Intelligence Community Seal Medallion may be awarded to contractors, consultants, or other US Government officers, on behalf of the Intelligence Community or member agencies, who do not qualify for any other Intelligence Community award. This award recognizes sustained superior performance of duty of high value that distinctly benefits the interests of the United States and is directly related to the mission of the Intelligence Community. Recipients of this award may not use this recognition in advertising, promotional, or other commercially oriented activities.

3. Intelligence Community Awards Review Panel (ICARP)

The ICARP will review nominations for Intelligence Community awards and forward its recommendations to the DCI for approval.

The Chairman, ICARP, will be appointed by the Director of Central Intelligence.

The members will be representatives designated by Intelligence Community principals.

The ICARP will implement procedures2 for nominating individuals for Intelligence Community awards and for processing the nominations and will arrange for their presentation.

Attachment:


Procedures, Criteria, and Guidelines
for Intelligence Community Awards (3)

Attachment to DCID 7/1

(Effective 15 August 1993)

The following procedures, criteria for award recommendations, and other guidelines are hereby established to carry out the provisions of the DCI Directive on Intelligence Community awards.

1. Procedures

a. Recommendations for Intelligence Community awards may be initiated at any level in any component of the Intelligence Community.

b. In the case of individual awards initiated by other than the nominee's parent organization, the nominating component will obtain the concurrence of the parent organization.

c. Recommendations will be submitted in fourteen copies on form 4239, Recommendation for Intelligence Community Award (copy attached), by the appropriate Intelligence Community principal to the Chairman, Intelligence Community Awards Review Panel (ICARP). These forms may be obtained from any ICARP member; the Protocol Branch, CIA; or may be reproduced from the attachment. The form will be accompanied by a native description of performance of service wanting [sic] the nomination, and unclassified citation, and a biographic profile of the nominee.

d. The Chairman, ICARP, will call meetings of the Panel, as required, to consider award recommendations. The Panel will forward its recommendations to the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). Award nominations are handled as EYES ONLY for Intelligence Community principals.

e. In unusual circumstances the DCI may approve an award without referral to any review process.

f. The Chairman, ICARP, will notify the appropriate Intelligence Community principal, in writing, of the DCI's decision.

g. Intelligence Community awards will be presented by the Director of Central Intelligence, the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, or, if circumstances prevent presentation by either of these officials, by the head of the Intelligence Community component to which the awardee is assigned.

2. General Guidelines

a. Intelligence Community awards are intended to bestow specific recognition for services of particular benefit to the United States in the executive of an Intelligence Community mission and do not replace any awards for which provision is made in Executive Orders, departmental, or agency regulations.

b. Normally, the exceptional duty performance that results in a nomination for an Intelligence Community award will not be the basis for an award by an individual component to which the person is assigned, but dual recognition is not totally precluded.

c. Accomplishments in, or in direct support of, Intelligence Community activities and the Community concept are critically important. Service devoted to the mission of an individual component will be more appropriately recognized by a component award. However, service that has strong Community aspects and includes a substantive contribution to the Community could provide basis for a Community award.

d. An Intelligence Community award is based on achievement, not merely on length of service or completion of a rotational assignment to another component.

e. Nominations for Intelligence Community awards will not be considered if the parent organization has acted unfavorably on a recommendation for the same performance.

f. Provisions for authority to wear decorations by military personnel and entry of an Intelligence Community award into official records will be determined by the individual military departments.

3. Specific Criteria

a. With respect to the National Intelligence Distinguished Medal (NIDSM), this award recognizes duty of great responsibility and normally will be awarded on a very selective basis. It is intended to recognize sustained superior service or achievements rather than one-time contributions. Performance within or on behalf of an individual component will be more appropriately recognized by award of the Distinguished Service Medal of the military services, the CIA Distinguished Intelligence Medal, or other comparable civilian awards. However, there may be instances where the accomplishments contribute to the effective functioning of the Intelligence Community as a whole.

b. With respect to the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement (NIMOA), it is to recognize achievements on behalf of the Intelligence Community that do not warrant the NIDSM. Service within and on behalf of an individual organization will be more appropriately recognized by the Department of Defense Legion of Merit, the CIA Intelligence Medal of Merit, or other comparable civilian awards. As stated above, however, there may be instances where the accomplishments clearly benefit the Intelligence Community as a whole.

c. With respect to the National Intelligence Certificate of Distinction (NICD), this award recognizes achievements on behalf of the Intelligence Community that do not warrant the NIDSM or NIMOA. The NICD may be awarded for sustained superior performance or a single act of special merit.

d. With respect to the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation (NIMUC), this award recognizes achievements by a unit whose collective performance deserves special recognition. Normally, individual awards to members of the unit will not be warranted, but such recognition of individual performance is not totally precluded.

e. With respect to the Intelligence Community Seal Medallion (ICSM), this award recognizes achievements by contractors, consultants, or other US Government officers, on behalf of the Intelligence Community or member agencies, who do not qualify for any other Intelligence Community award. The achievements must have made a vital and unique contribution to the successful accomplishment of an Intelligence Community mission. Recipients of the ICSM may not use this recognition in advertising, promotional, or other commercially oriented activities.


Footnotes

1 This directive supersedes DCID 7/1, effective 9 July 1990.

2 These procedures, the criteria for evaluating recommendations for awards, and other supporting information will be found in the attachment to this directive.

3 These provisions derive from and have the authority of DCID 7/1, 9 July 1967.


Source: CIA hardcopy
MORI Document ID Number: 770027
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