Crosses of Military Merit

Crosses of Military Merit
Template of Crosses Military Merit Decorations
Awarded by Spain
Type	Decoration of merit (formerly order of merit)
Eligibility	Military personnel, Guardia Civil, civilian personnel
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	3 August 1864
Precedence
Next (higher)	Medalla del Ejército
Equivalent	Crosses of Naval Merit Crosses of Aeronautical Merit
Next (lower)	Distinguished Service Award (Without Insignia) Mention in Dispatches (Without Insignia) Royal and Military Order of St Hermenegild

The Crosses of Military Merit (Spanish: Cruces del Mérito Militar) are Spain's military awards for gallantry or merit in war or peace. Awarded to members of the Spanish Armed Forces, Guardia Civil or civilians.

Established on 3 August 1864 by Queen Isabella II as the Order of Military Merit (Spanish: Orden del Mérito Militar), it has been amended many times (in 1918, 1926, 1931, 1938, 1942, 1976, 1995, 2003 and 2007). During the Spanish Civil War it was recognized by both sides of the conflict. Awarded originally in four classes, in 1995, in 1995 it lost the rank of an order of merit, and the classes were reduced to two and the number of categories extended to four.

According to the current regulations the decoration is conferred in the following classes:

The categories are as follows:

Multiple awards of each class and each category to the same individual are possible.

The decoration has the form of a Greek cross with the arms enameled red in the Red Decoration category and white in the remaining categories. The Blue Decoration and Yellow Decoration badges have additional narrow bars in blue or yellow across the lower and lateral arms. The upper arm is surmounted by a Spanish royal crown and has a tablet to engrave the date of bestowal. The round central shield of the obverse bears the coat of arms of Castile, León, Aragon, Navarre and Granada (until 2003 only alternate coats of arms of Castile and León); in the middle there is a blue oval shield (escutcheon) of the House of Bourbon-Anjou. On the reverse there are letters "MM" (Mérito Militar) on red background. The cross is worn on a ribbon on the left side of chest. Each subsequent award is denoted by a bar with the date of bestowal on the ribbon.