The civilian authority for the Modern Military is the Ministry of National Defense.It was founded in 1828. Greece currently has universal compulsory Modern Military service for males, under which all men above 18 years of age serve for 9 months.
Greek’s Modern Military
Women may serve in the Modern Military, but cannot be conscripted.Greece is an EU and NATO member country and participates in peacekeeping operations such as ISAF- in Afghanistan, EUFOR in Bosnia and Chad, and KFOR in Kosovo.
The armed forces of Greece consist of:
- The Hellenic National Defense General Staff
- The Hellenic Army
- The Hellenic Navy
- The Hellenic Air Force
Hellenic National Defense General Staff:
The Hellenic National Defense General Staff, carries out the operational commander of the Joint Headquarters and the units that come under them, as well as the rest forces, when it comes to the issues of operation plans implementation and the Crises management System implementation, conduction of operations outside the national territory and participation of the Armed Forces in the confrontation of special situations during peacetime.
Hellenic Army:
The main mission of the Hellenic Army is the defense of the independence and integrity of the state, the safeguarding of national territory, as well as the decisive contribution to the achievement of the country’s policy objectives.
During peacetime, the Army has the following main objectives:
1. The maintenance of high operational readiness for the prevention and effective confrontation of dangers and threats, as well as the ensuring of rapid response capability.
2. The contribution to international security and peace.
3. The contribution to activities of social aid and the support of state services for the confrontation of emergency situations.
Hellenic Navy:
The Hellenic Navy (HN) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of the monarchy (18331924 and 19361973) it was known as the Royal Navy.The total displacement of the navy is approximately 150,000 tons.
The motto of the Hellenic Navy is “???at? t?? Ta??ss?? ???t??” from Thucydides’ account of Pericles’ oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as “Great is the country that controls the sea”. The Hellenic Navy’s emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross, symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and a trident, which is associated with Poseidon, the god of the sea, with Pericles’ words across the top.
Hellenic Air Force:
The Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated to HAF, is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the world.
The Hellenic Air Force includes approximately 33,000 active troops, of whom 11,750 are career officers, 14,000 are professional conscripts (??.??.), 7,250 are volunteer conscripts and 1,100 are women. During the period of the monarchy, between 19111922 and 19351973, the force was known as the Royal Hellenic Air Force.
The motto of the Hellenic Air Force is the ancient Greek phrase ???? ?????ate?? (Ain Hypsikraten), “Always Dominate the Heights”), and the HAF ensign represents a flying eagle in front of the Hellenic Air Force roundel. The Hellenic Air Force is one of the three branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces.
