In terms of other orders, including courtly rank and the Orders of the Rising Sun and Orders of the Sacred Treasure, when it came to civil servants (at the time, they were termed "government officials") in government service, once they fulfilled the prescribed condition--for example, working continuously for a certain number of years--almost everyone would receive such medals, and non-government soldiers (in Japan's army) or civilians could also receive them; the Order of the Golden Kite, however, was limited only to military personnel, and furthermore was only granted to those who had sufficiently distinguished themselves in battle, meaning that simply being a general or an army officer of imperial blood, without distinguished service in battle, would not bring one this medal.
位階や旭日章・瑞宝章などのその他の勲章は仕官して公務員（当時は官吏）となれば勤続年数などの一定の条件で大抵誰でも受勲することができ、また官吏では無い兵(日本軍)や民間人でも対象となったが、金鵄勲章は軍人軍属のみでかつ相応の戦功がなくては授与されず、大将や皇族軍人といえども相応の武功がなければ授与されなかった。