Order of Merit Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by King Edward VII, admission into the order remains the personal gift of its Sovereign—currently Edward VII's great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II—and is restricted to a maximum of 24 living recipients from the Commonwealth realms, plus a limited number of honorary members. While all members are awarded the right to use the post-nominal letters "OM" and wear the badge of the order, the Order of Merit's precedence among other
Order of Military Merit (Russia) Order of Military Merit (Russia) The Order "For Military Merit" () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation established by presidential decree № 442 of March 2, 1994 to reward military excellence. Its statute was amended three times, first on January 6, 1999 by decree № 19, then on September 7, 2010 by decree № 1099 which modernised the entire Russian awards system and finally on December 16, 2011 by Presidential Decree № 1631. The Order "For Military Merit" is awarded to military personnel for exemplary performance of military duties, for high combat readiness in ensuring Russia's defence; for