on admission into the order of merit, members can use the post-nominal letters "om", and have the badge of the order, consisting of a golden crown from which is suspended a red enamelled cross, itself centred by a disk of blue enamel, surrounded by a gold laurel wreath, and bearing in gold lettering the words "for merit"; the insignia for the military grouping has a pair of crossed swords behind the central disk. the ribbon of the order of merit is divided into two stripes of red and blue; men wear their badges on a neck ribbon, while women carry theirs on a ribbon bow pinned to the left shoulder, and aides-de-camp may wear the insignia on their aiguillettes. since 1991, the insignia is to be given back upon the recipient's death.