The Australian Intelligence Medal (AIM) is a civil decoration awarded to national intelligence community members for distinguished service. The decoration was introduced on 24 January 2020. Recipients of the Australian Intelligence Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "AIM".
Awards are made by the governor-general of Australia on the nomination of the Australian Intelligence Medal Committee.
Description
The medal is a bi-metal construction of
nickel-silver in antique finish and bronze colouring in a circular shape 38 millimetres in diameter. The obverse of the medal features a raised Federation Star. The centre of the Federation Star has a bronze-coloured raised impression of a decagon, symbolising the ten agencies of the National Intelligence Community. The Federation Star is surrounded by an indented border, representing the twenty-four-hour nature of intelligence. The central emblem is encircled by a contemporary laurel of a wattle which recalls the uniquely Australian nature of the award. The reverse features a border with the raised, polished words ‘Australian Intelligence Medal’ surrounding a space where the recipient's name may be engraved.
The ribbon is wide and features a central band of yellow 5 millimetres in width, flanked by white graduating to midnight blue then to black.
Eligibility
Awards are made by the Governor-General, on the nomination of the Australian Intelligence Medal Committee. The total number of awards made each year must not exceed the following quota:
* One medal for every 1000 members, or part of 1000 members plus one additional medal.
* Covid-19 related work is an exception to the quota.
The National Intelligence Community consists of ten organisations, with the head of each along with the secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet forming the Australian Intelligence Medal Committee.
The eligible organisations are:
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Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) is a law enforcement agency established by the Australian federal government on 1 July 2016, following the merger of the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and CrimTrac. It has specialist i ...
(ACIC)
*
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is the principal Federal police, federal law enforcement agency of the Australian Government responsible for investigating Crime in Australia, crime and protecting the national security of the Commonwealth ...
(AFP)
*
Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation
The Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO) is an government of Australia, Australian government intelligence agency that is part of the Department of Defence (Australia), Department of Defence responsible for the collection, analy ...
(AGO)
*
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO ) is the Intelligence agency, domestic intelligence and national security agency of the Australian Government, responsible for protection from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign inte ...
(ASIO)
*
Australian Secret Intelligence Service
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS ) is the foreign intelligence agency of the Commonwealth of Australia, responsible for gathering, processing, and analysing national security information from around the world, primarily throug ...
(ASIS)
*
Australian Signals Directorate
The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), formerly the Defence Signals Directorate, is a statutory agency of the Government of Australia responsible for signals intelligence, providing intelligence support to Australian military operations, con ...
(ASD)
*
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) is an Australian government financial intelligence agency responsible for monitoring financial transactions to identify money laundering, organised crime, tax evasion, welfare fraud ...
(AUSTRAC)
*
Defence Intelligence Organisation
The Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) is an Australian government military intelligence agency responsible for strategic intelligence and technical intelligence assessments, advising defence and government decision-making on national sec ...
(DIO)
*
Department of Home Affairs
An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement.
In some states, the i ...
(DHA)
*
Office of National Intelligence (ONI)
Notable recipients
Avril Haines
Avril Danica Haines (born August 27, 1969) is an American lawyer who served as the seventh Director of National Intelligence, director of national intelligence in the Presidency of Joe Biden, Biden administration. She is the first woman to serve ...
, the
Director of National Intelligence
The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a Cabinet of the United States#Current Cabinet and Cabinet-rank officials, cabinet-level Federal government of the United States, United States government intelligence and security official. The p ...
(United States) was awarded the medal as part of the
2024 King's Birthday Honours
The 2024 King's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms of King Charles III to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part o ...
for "distinguished service to the National Intelligence Community."
See also
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Australian Honours Order of Precedence
References
External links
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{{Australian Honours System
Civil awards and decorations of Australia
2020 establishments in Australia
Awards established in 2020
Long and Meritorious Service Medals of Britain and the Commonwealth