Order Of Military Merit

ESP016 Orden del Mérito Militar

Order was instituted on 3 August 1864.
Order was awarded to military personnel in recognition of outstanding and meritorious actions in time of war or peace.
Originally, the order was awarded in four classes and two categories: White Distinction (for distinguished services in peacetime) and Red Distinction (for courage and effective actions in combat). in 1995, the classes were reduced to two and the number of categories extended to four: Red Distinction (for courage, actions, deeds or service during an armed conflict or military operations), Blue Distinction (for actions, events or extraordinary services including operations resulting from a mandate of the United Nations or of other international organizations), Yellow Distinction (for actions, deeds or service that involve high personal risk and in cases of serious injury or death resulting from such actions or service), and White Distinction (for actions, deeds or distinguished service during missions or ordinary or extraordinary service in the armed forces or in connection with defense of the country).