Hellenic Army Other Ranks rank insignia

This article describes the military rank insignia used by the other ranks (Warrant Officers, professional and enlisted Non-commissioned officers and ordinary privates) of the Hellenic Army.

Insignia

Notes for Warrant officer ranks

• In the Greek Army, the rank of Warrant Officer can only be achieved by graduates of the military ΣΜΥ college (Σχολή Μονίμων Υπαξιωματικών Scholi Monimon Ypaxiomatikon, Career NCO College) and by some categories of volunteers whose rank scales are considered equivalent to those of ΣΜΥ graduates (e.g. military music corps staff). It is junior to the rank of Second Lieutenant, to which a warrant officer will eventually be promoted. It is also the maximum attainable rank for ΕΜΘ and ΕΠΟΠ volunteer NCOs, only attainable upon career termination as an honorary rank.
• Warrant Officers who have graduated from the NCO College (or are considered of equivalent status) are further promoted to commissioned officer ranks.
• The rank of Δόκιμος Έφεδρος Αξιωματικός Dokimos Hefedros Axiomatikos or ΔΕΑ (Non-Regular Officer Designate) is reserved for conscripts who successfully enrol in and graduate from officer training school. According to the regulations of the Greek Army ^[2] Designates are in a transitory state. They must serve for a minimum of six months at a post reserved for a commissioned officer (usually leading a platoon), before being nominated for a Second Lieutenant commission. They are considered of equal rank to career warrant officers, but the latter are more senior compared to PROs. This rank it is often compared to the rank of Third Lieutenant, with a NATO designation code of OF(D).
• The color of the striped pattern on PROs battledress/high uniform rank insignia denotes weapon and corps branch of the wearer e.g. Red/White for infantry, Green/White for Cavalry/Armor, Black/White for Artillery, Plain Grey for Research/IT, Red/Blue for Technical corps etc.
• Designates have no particular insignia for their fatigues, but instead wear two weapon/corps insignia collar patches.
• Before being nominated ΔΕΑ, candidates must undergo and successfully complete a training period as ΥΕΑ (Υποψήφιοι Έφεδροι Αξιωματικοί Hypopsifioi Hefedroi Axiomatikoi, Non-Regular Officer Candidates) in their specific weapon/branch training school. NROCs are further subdivided into ΥΕΑ Α' (alpha or junior) and ΥΕΑ Β' (beta or senior), according to course seniority, and can further obtain honorary NCO ranks within the training school, depending on their progress and scores, e.g. NROC Corporal (Δεκανέας ΥΕΑ Dekaneas YEA), NROC Sergeant (Λοχίας ΥΕΑ Lokhias YEA) and so on. NROCs can only wear fatigues, like enlisted soldiers, and wear collar insignia with one (alphas) or two (betas) colored stripes, denoting their weapon and corps branch. NROC NCOs wear only one such insignia and the proper NCO rank collar patch for their rank.

Notes for NCOs and Enlisted ranks

• Except for the case of enlisted ranks, all of the insignia pictured are worn with the 8b and 8c battledress and service uniforms, which are not currently issued to conscripted personnel, except for Probationary Reserve Officers.
• Background color denotes weapon and corps branch of the wearer e.g. Red for infantry, Green for Cavalry/Armor, Grey for Research/IT, Red/Blue for Technical corps etc.
• Only Professional NCOs graduating from the military ΣΜΥ college (Σχολή Μονίμων Υπαξιωματικών Skholi Monimon Hypaxiomatokon) have double arcs ("rockers") above their chevrons.^[3]
• ΕΜΘ (Εθελοντές Μακράς Θητείας Ethelontis Makras Thiteias) and ΕΠ.ΟΠ. (Επαγγελματίες Οπλίτες Epaggelamaties Hoplites) volunteer enlisted NCOs have plain chevrons with a "flaming grenade" insignia. The older Ε.Π.Υ. (Εθελοντές Πενταετούς Υποχρέωσης Athelontes Pentaetous Hypokhreois, Fire-Year Duty Volunteers) have a line and a grenade, while the more recent Ο.Β.Α. (Οπλίτες Βραχείας Ανακατάταξης Hoplites Vrakheias Anakatataxis, Short Term Re-enlisting Privates) have a single line, in addition to their chevrons.
• With the exception of certain Special Forces units, the enlisted ranks of Έφεδρος Λοχίας (Efedros Lochias, OR-5) and Έφεδρος Υποδεκανέας (Efedros Ypodekaneas, OR-3) are no longer awarded in practice, and thus conscripted personnel can only rise to the rank of Έφεδρος Δεκανέας, or to the higher rank of Δόκιμος Έφεδρος Αξιωματικός.^[4]
• The rank of Υποδεκανέας (Lance Corporal) is considered an honorary title by the ΣΚ20-1 rulebook, and is only awarded to enlisted soldiers as a morale reward at the discretion of the commanding officer. It is currently only given to Ο.Β.Α. (Οπλίτες Βραχείας Ανακατάταξης) in order to grant them de-jure seniority among other enlisted soldiers.^[2]
• Υποψήφιος Έφεδρος Βαθμοφόρος is a temporary rank given to candidate Έφεδροι Λοχίες and Έφεδροι Δεκανείς during their training period.

See also

• Hellenic Army officer rank insignia
• Ranks and insignia of NATO Armies
• Comparative military ranks of World War I
• Comparative military ranks of World War II
• Comparative military ranks
• Military rank

References

External links

• ΣΤΡΑΤΙΩΤΙΚΟΣ ΚΑΝΟΝΙΣΜΟΣ 20-1 (Greek Army Military Rulebook 20-1)
• Current(as of 2009) NCO and enlisted insignia at army.gr
• Current(as of 2009) fatigue corps and weapon insignia at army.gr