The Military Merit Medal was awarded in peacetime for meritorious service and in wartime for outstanding acts (including bravery or military merit). The peacetime awards were on the statute ribbon, a red ribbon, while wartime awards were on the ribbon of the Bravery Medal, a "laddered" pattern of red stripes edged in white and with white between the "rungs". This latter was referred to as being either "on the War Ribbon" (""am Kriegsband"") or "on the ribbon of the Bravery Medal" (""am Bande der Tapferkeitsmedaille""). Occasionally, the phrase "on the ribbon of the Military Merit Cross" (""am Bande des Militär-Verdienstkreuzes"") was used, as the Military Merit Cross also used the ribbon of the Bravery Medal.