Database of Spanish decorations, orders and medals

1- The Military, Naval and Aeronautical Orders of Merit in the 2003 regulations

Before studying each order or decoration, we must stop at the 2003 regulation, which is currently in force, since it contains several notions that are applicable to both the Order of Military, Aeronautical and Naval Merit.

The categories of the Order are divided into Grand Crosses for general officers and Crosses for all other cases.

The distinctions of the Order sare divided into four: white, red, blue and yellow.

Red distinction: The Crosses of Military Merit, Naval Merit and Aeronautical Merit, with a red distinction, will be awarded to those people who, with courage, have carried out effective actions, deeds or services in the course of an armed conflict or military operations that involve or they may involve the use of armed force, and that entail significant military or command skills. These crosses of merit, with a red distinction, may also be awarded to people who die in the act of service in missions abroad, as a result of violent actions by hostile elements.

Blue distinction: The Crosses of Military Merit, Naval Merit and Aeronautical Merit, with a blue distinction, will be granted for extraordinary actions, events or services that, not included within the provisions for the red distinction, are carried out in operations derived from a mandate of the United Nations or within the framework of other international organizations.

Yellow distinction: The Crosses of Military Merit, Naval Merit and Aeronautical Merit, with a yellow distinction, will be granted for actions, events or services that involve serious risk and in cases of serious injury or death, as a result of acts of service, provided that involve meritorious conduct. Said crosses with a yellow distinction may also be awarded to people who, in the act of service or on the occasion of this, die or suffer serious injuries, without having contributed, due to recklessness, disobedience or other circumstances, to this result.

White distinction: The Crosses of Military Merit, Naval Merit and Aeronautical Merit, with white distinction, will be awarded for distinguished merits, works, actions, facts or services, that are carried out during the provision of missions or services that are ordinarily or extraordinarily entrusted to the Armed Forces or that are related to Defense, and that are not found defined in the previous three sections of this chapter.

The Order of Aeronautical Merit

The Order of Naval Merit

The Order of Military Merit