Merit of Blood

The Merit of Blood is a military award given to Grand Alliance military personnel that were "grievously wounded or killed while serving." This award may be given on or off campaign, but may only be given to active service members. Furthermore, there are no role restrictions, meaning any soldier, whether in a combat or non-combat role, may receive the Merit of Blood.

The Merit of Blood is one of the most common awards in the Grand Alliance. Receiving it is seen as a rite of passage among some veterans, who call recipients of the award as having 'been blooded.'

General Information
To be considered for the Merit of Blood, a soldier must be nominated by their commanding officers. This nomination is then assessed by Alliance High Command, using the following criteria: Upon receiving a Merit of Blood, soldiers treat the award as they would any other under military regulations. The Merit of Blood, along with other awards, may be worn if specifically called for, such as during formal events or parades. Instructions are usually provided on whether awards may be worn in uniform, in civilian dress, or by veterans of the armed forces. However, awards are not allowed while in combat dress.
 * The soldier must have been wounded grievously while serving in the Grand Alliance. This includes injuries that result in maiming, disfigurement, disability, or generally any recovery process that is both difficult and protracted.
 * The soldier must have been killed while serving in the Grand Alliance.
 * The soldier must have gained the injury during legal and honorable service. Self-inflicted injuries and injuries sustained in illegal situations, including but not limited to fights between service members or battle against non-combatants, are not countable.

History
The Merit of Blood began as an award with a much lower eligibility requirement, as the original text stated that any wounded military personnel, including allies, may be eligible for the award. Due to the increasingly high volume of Merits of Blood being given, Alliance High Command reassessed the eligibility requirements. Following the reassessment, only Alliance military personnel from one of its member nations could receive the Merit of Blood. Furthermore, there was an attempt to make the threshold of injury much more stringent, though the award is still commonly given out due to qualitative differences on what counts as a 'serious and grave' injury.