Hellenic Army

The Hellenic Army (Greek: Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.

The motto of the Hellenic Army is Ἐλεύθερον τὸ Εὔψυχον (Eleútheron tò Eúpsychon), "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War (2.43.4). The Hellenic Army Emblem is the two-headed eagle with a Greek Cross escutcheon in the centre, representing the links between modern Greece, the Greek Orthodox Church, and the Byzantine Empire.

Mission

The main mission of the Hellenic Army is the defence of the state’s independence and integrity, the safeguarding of national territory, as well as the decisive contribution to the achievement of the country’s policy objectives.^[3]

During peacetime, the Army has the following main objectives:

• 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.
• The contribution to international security and peace.
• The contribution to activities of social aid and the support of state services for the confrontation of emergency situations.

History

The modern Hellenic Army was formed shortly after the creation of the State in 1828. The first out of eight tactical army regiments was established in February 1828 after the respective order was given by the first head of state of the independent Greece, Ioannis Capodistrias.^[4] This tactical army would replace the irregular military bands of the capetanei (καπεταναίοι - commanders) who had led the revolt against Ottoman Empire in 1821. The new formations were formed firstly in Troizina and were organized according to the ones of the French Army. First commander was appointed the French general Charles Nicolas Fabvier. In addition to the creation of tactical infantry units, Capodistrias proceeded in the establishment of various other auxiliary corps, such as the Hellenic Military Academy, the first Artillery and Cavalry battalions, the Mechanics Corps and a unit of logistical support, the Army Commissariat. The first combined arms drills were executed in October 1829 at Megara.

The Hellenic Army has taken part in the following engagements:

• Greek War of Independence (1821–1830)
• Greco-Turkish War of 1897
• First Balkan War (1912–1913)
• Second Balkan War (1913)
• Macedonian Front of World War I (1916–1918)
• Allied Expedition to the Ukraine (1919)
• Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922
• Second World War
  • Greco-Italian War (1940–1941)
  • German invasion and Battle of Crete (1941)
  • North African Campaign (1941–1943)
  • Italian Campaign (1944)
• Greek Civil War (1946–1949)
• Korean War (1950–1953)
• Turkish Invasion of Cyprus (1974)
• Kosovo (1999-present)
• War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
• War on Terrorism (2001–present)

Structure

General Staff

• Hellenic National Defense General Staff
  • Hellenic Army General Staff
    Γενικό Επιτελείο Στρατού (ΓΕΣ)
    • Chief-of-Staff of the Army
      Αρχηγός ΓΕΣ
    • Inspector General of the Army
      Γενικός Επιθεωρητής Στρατού / Διοικητής ΔΙΔΟΕΕ
    • 1st Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Army
      A' Υπαρχηγός ΓΕΣ
    • 2nd Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Army
      Β' Υπαρχηγός ΓΕΣ

Combat and support arms

• Most combat arms are called "Arm" (Όπλον). This term denotes army elements that, more or less, have direct participation in combat.
• Most support branches are called "Corps" (Σώμα), with some exceptions.

Army units and formations

After a major reorganization which occurred in the last decade, which included the transformation of most Infantry formations into Mechanized Brigades and a parallel reduction of personnel, Hellenic Army's higher command is the Hellenic Army General Staff.

There are four major military commands which supervise all army units,

• The 1st Army, based at Larissa, that includes the I and IV Army Corps, responsible for the defense of the northern and eastern borders.
• The II Army Corps, based at Veroia, which groups all the rapid reaction forces of the army
• The Supreme Military Command of the Interior and Islands, based at Athens with the mission to provide cover for the islands in the Aegean Sea.
• The Supreme Military Support Command undertaking various logistics and organizational tasks.

Although divisions still exist, having the role of forward commands, the Army is mainly organized in brigades, that follow the typical NATO standards consisting of five battalions, three maneuver, one artillery, one support and some other company sized formations. According to the latest developments, up to 2015, all active divisions will dissolve, but all brigades will acquire one more maneuver battalion, largely eliminating the distinction between mechanized and armored formations, thus creating a new type brigade, which will be named Strike Brigade.^[5]

Personnel

There are three classes of personnel in the Hellenic Army, namely professional, volunteer and conscript. Conscript enlisted men and non-commissioned officers wear special rank insignia to differentiate them from volunteers. There are currently 90,000 personnel on active duty. Mobilization strength is 200,000 more.

Most professional officers graduate from the Evelpidon Military Academy in Athens (Στρατιωτική Σχολή Ευελπίδων) and the Corps Officers Military Academy in Thessaloniki (Στρατιωτική Σχολή Αξιωματικών Σωμάτων), while the rest graduate from various Military Schools according to their specialization.

In the chain of command, graduates of the two Military Academies in Athens and Thessaloniki are considered higher in seniority compared to professional officers of the same rank who graduate from specialized Military Schools. The latter officers are followed in seniority by volunteer and finally conscript staff.

During war, the Hellenic army battalions are commanded by either a ranking officer major general or if in a combat mission by another state which in agreement with the Greek state will be commanded by a ranking General of their own.

Equipment

The heavy equipment and weaponry of the Hellenic Army is mostly of foreign manufacture, from German, French, American, British and Russian suppliers. A notable exception is the native-built Leonidas armored personnel carrier by the Hellenic Vehicles Manufacturer Industry (ELBO).

Equipment runs the gamut from state-of-the art to obsolescent Cold War inventories; the latter are gradually being retired.

Uniforms and Ranks

The structure of Hellenic Army ranks has its roots in British military traditions and follows NATO standard rank scale. The rank of Stratarchis (Στρατάρχης, equivalent to Field Marshal or General of the Army) though, has been historically used, but is no longer extant. It was first awarded to King Constantine I for his leadership in the Balkan Wars. The rank was subsequently assumed by his successors upon accession, until the abolition of the monarchy. The only regular officer to have been awarded the rank was General Alexander Papagos on 28 October 1949.

Gallery

References

Inline citations

Other sources

• Michalopoulos, Dimitris. "The Evolution of the Greek Army (1828-68)". War and Society in East Central Europe, Vol. XIV, Brooklyn College Press, 1984, pp. 317–330, ISBN 0880330430.
• (Greek) Η ιστορία της οργάνωσης του Ελληνικού Στρατού, 1821–1954 [The history of the organization of the Hellenic Army, 1821–1954]. Hellenic Army Historical Directorate. 2005. ISBN 960-7897-45-5. 

External links