The Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Arabic: الوسام العلوي الشريف) or the Sharifian Order of Al-Alaoui is a military decoration of Morocco which is bestowed by the King of Morocco upon those civilians and military officers who have displayed heroism in combat or have contributed meritorious service to the Moroccan state. The decoration was established on 11 January 1913 in replacement of the Order of Ouissam Hafidien. It is awarded in five classes: Grand Cordon (Grand cordon), Grand Officer (Grand Officier), Commander (Commandeur), Officer (Officier) and Knight (Chevalier).The Order of Ouissam Alaouite is similar to the Legion of Merit, awarded by the United States military. Source: Wikipedia (en)