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Defense Intelligence Agency (U.S.)

Last modified: 2022-09-23 by rick wyatt
Keywords: defense intelligence agency | departmental | united states |
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[Flag of Defense Intelligence Agency] image by Randy Young, 13 March 2019



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Description of the flag

The Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA, has essentially the same mission as the CIA, but is directed more toward support of American military operations rather than the supporting the national policy makers. As the name implies, DIA is administered directly by the Department of Defense (DoD). In fact, according to the organizational structure, DIA, NSA, NRO, and NIMA all have two different bosses: the Director of Central Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense.

DIA's flag features the agency's seal centered on a light blue field, indicative of its subordination to DoD. The seal shows a globe on a dark blue background, with a flaming torch behind the globe. Across the top of the seal are the words "DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY," and across the bottom is "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA."
Randy Young, 20 December 2001

Construction sheet: Defense Intelligence Agency
Construction sheet created 15 May 1996. Original drawing created on 22 October 1985.

The seal was not immediately available from the Institute of Heraldry.
Seal: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Defense_Intelligence_Agency_Black.svg

    Base: Old Glory Blue (Cable 80075)
    Fringe: Yellow (Cable 67108)

Dave Fowler, 19 July 2022


Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service

A flag was observed behind Gen. Clapper at www.nima.mil/ast/fm/acq/Sep-Oct2003Path.pdf.

I would describe the DISES flag thus:

  • A royal blue field
  • In the center, a gold Pentagon (obvious significance)
  • Surrounding the pentagon, 8 gold 5-pointed stars (One for each DOD Intelligence agency); The stars are positioned at each point of the pentagon, and the lower 3 sides.
  • Off-centered in the gold pentagon, is a smaller pentagon, divided into vertical stripes of red, white and blue.
  • In the broader segment of the gold pentagon, below the small pentagon, is the white acronym "DISES"
  • A 5 pointed star is superimposed over the r-w-b pentagon, and appears to be lighter shades of r-w-b where it overlaps the colors on the pentagon.
  • The appropriate agency seal is in the center of the pentagon (NIMA, NSA, DIA, etc).
  • There appears to be a gold fringe

Dave Fowler, 24 October 2003

The Army has a distinctive flag for its own SES members as well as positional flags for a handful of civilian officials below secretarial rank. And there are, of course, personal/positional flags for all officials at the level of assistant secretary and above.
Joe McMillan, 24 October 2003


Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center flag (ca 1992-2008)

[Flag of Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center] image by Randy Young, 1 November 2013

The old unit colors/agency flag for the US Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center, or AFMIC, at Ft Detrick, Maryland. Originally the Medical Intelligence Division within the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) from 1963 until the post-Vietnam War era, the US Army Medical Intelligence and Information Agency (USAMIIA) was renamed AFMIC in 1982. In 1992, AFMIC was permanently transferred and subordinated to DIA. On July 2, 2008, AFMIC was formally redesignated as the National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI), still subordinated to DIA. The mission of NCMI and its predecessor organizations, including AFMIC, has remained “to track and assess the full range of global health issues for the US Department of Defense, specifically monitoring and analyzing health events that could negatively impact the health of US military and civilian populations.”

AFMIC’s flag, from at least 1992 through 2008 when it became NCMI, was the agency seal on a background of light blue matching the color of the Defense Department flag. I saw the flag several times in photographs. After the change in the organization’s name, I’m sure the seal changed, but I am unsure of what the current flag of NCMI looks like.
Randy Young, 1 November 2013

It became the National Center for Medical Intelligence in 2008. It is an agency of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Base: Bluebird (cable 70211)
Fringe: Yellow (cable 67108)
The emblem drawing was not immediately available from the Institute of Heraldry.

Emblem image: https://sep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-40641773927256_2271_274575200
Flag detail: Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center

Dave Fowler, 1 August 2022


National Center for Medical Intelligence (2008-)

[Flag of National Center for Medical Intelligence] image by Randy Young, 10 July 2021

The Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (AFMIC) was renamed the National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI) in 2008.

Following the renaming to NCMI, the agency adopted a new seal and a new flag. The flag can be seen in the background of a photograph showing the July 2008 ribbon-cutting ceremony for NCMI at Fort Detrick, Maryland, from a July 2019 DIA press release (https://www.dia.mil/News/Articles/Article-View/Article/1902266/this-week-in-dia-history-national-center-for-medical-intelligence-hits-double-d/). In the stand of colors behind those cutting the ribbon can be seen the American flag, US Army flag, US Navy flag, US Marine Corps, DIA, and possibly the Department of Homeland Security. The new NCMI flag can be seen standing by itself against the wall of the building to the right and behind the stand of colors. The flag features the NCMI seal centered on a white field.