The National Intelligence Medal for Valor (created as the Intelligence Community Medal for Valor) is a decoration of the
United States Intelligence Community
The United States Intelligence Community (IC) is a group of separate US federal government, U.S. federal government intelligence agencies and subordinate organizations that work to conduct Intelligence assessment, intelligence activities which ...
awarded by the National Intelligence Awards Program led by the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a cabinet-level United States government intelligence and security official. The position is required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head o ...
.
The Director of National Intelligence established the Intelligence Community Medal for Valor on 1 October 2008 to "acknowledge the exceptional and unrecognized accomplishments of members of the Intelligence Community."
In 2009, the award was renamed the National Intelligence Medal for Valor.
Criteria
The medal recognizes heroism and courage above and beyond the call of duty in service to the intelligence community or to overall national security. It is generally associated with clandestine operation in hostile countries.
Second only to the
National Intelligence Cross
The National Intelligence Cross is a decoration of the United States Intelligence Community (IC) awarded under the National Intelligence Awards (NIA) Program by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). It is the highest award pr ...
, it is the equivalent to the military
Silver Star
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...
. There are very few recipients of this medal, which almost exclusively awarded posthumously, and the identities of living recipients are closely guarded secrets.
Recipients
The medal was first awarded on 14 November 2008, to Marine Corps Lance Corporal James E. Swain, who died on 15 November 2004, of wounds received while serving as a Marine Corps intelligence analyst during the
Battle of Fallujah in Iraq.
(The Swain Annex of the
Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA) complex also bears his name.)
Its first recipient under its new name was Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Steven P. Daugherty, sometime before 21 May 2009.
Defense Department officials have released the names of three other recipients, all of whom received their medals posthumously: Air Force 1st Lieutenant
Roslyn L. Schulte, who received it on 22 January 2010; Marine Sergeant Lucas T. Pyeatt, on 29 June 2011; and Marine Capt. Trevor J. Yurista, on 1 September 2011.
As of June 2011, the medal had also been awarded to six living recipients whose names have been kept secret, according to DoD officials.
Fallen Marine Honored With Intelligence Medal for Valor
Defense.gov, 29 June 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
See also
* Awards and decorations of the United States government
Awards and decorations of the United States government are Civil awards and decorations, civilian awards of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government which are typically issued for sustained meritorious service, in a civ ...
References
{{reflist
Valor, National Intelligence Medal for