“Rachel was a warm and compassionate young woman, and an officer of unbounded potential. We miss her still and will remember her always. She is our 87th star.”
General Michael V. Hayden
CIA Director
May 21 2007
September 30, 2026 — Rachel Alexandra Dean joined CIA in January 2005. She died on September 30 2006 in a car accident while on temporary duty in Kazakhstan. She was 25. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY
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“From the start, Rachel was a hard worker, with a warm and caring personality. Her colleagues described her as the glue that held the team together. She was always eager to volunteer for an extra task.”
CIA Website
Rachel Alexandra Dean was born on April 10, 1981, in Portsmouth, Virginia. Her father was a U.S. Navy officer, and she spent part of her childhood overseas, including in Greece and England.
She graduated from Maury High School in Norfolk in 1999 and attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, where she majored in International Studies.
During her junior year, she studied abroad for a semester in Athens, Greece, and was active in several service organizations. She graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Mission Context & Circumstances of Death
Rachel A. Dean joined the Central Intelligence Agency in January 2005 as a Support Officer in the Directorate of Support. In September 2006, she was serving on temporary duty in Kazakhstan.
On September 30, 2006, at the age of 25, she died in an automobile accident while serving there. The circumstances of her assignment and the accident have not been publicly detailed by the CIA.
Year Added to the Memorial Wall
Rachel A. Dean’s star was unveiled on the CIA Memorial Wall during a private ceremony at CIA Headquarters in May 2007. The ceremony honored four Agency employees who had died in the line of duty. The CIA’s official memorial biography records her as Star 87.
Book of Honor / Declassification Status
Rachel A. Dean’s name appears in the CIA’s Book of Honor. In 2007, the 60th anniversary year of the CIA, the Agency introduced a new format and layout for the Book of Honor. When the new version first appeared, Dean was the last entry in the book.
REFERENCES
Central Intelligence Agency, “Rachel A. Dean,” Remembering CIA’s Heroes, CIA.gov.
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Twenty Years Ago — CIA Memorial Wall — Star 87: Rachel A. Dean (September 30, 2006 — Kazakhstan)
“Every star has a story.”
Tim Johnston
CIA Memorial Wall
stone carver
