While the Baton was a military decoration it wasn't unheard of for a civilian to receive the award - past recipients included a few of the Sheng nobility and a President of Ceres Metals - but by far the greater number were awarded to members of the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces. The most prestigious of the military decorations available to those in the Capellan Confederation, the Baton of Illustrious Service was used to recognize those who have served the interests of House Liao, either under extreme risk or extreme hardship, and who had done so to an extent far beyond the normal call of duty.
