“It is a particular pleasure for me to be here today at the Artillery School to celebrate with you, with religious devoutness, the honour of the Patron Saint of Artillery Great Martyr Saint Barbara.

A double celebration once more symbolising the close coexistence of Orthodoxy with Greece, a necessary relation not only in these bleak times but always.

The Great Martyr Saint Barbara, with her sacrifice on the altar of orthodox faith, timelessly shows the way to the defenders of our Nation’s ideals, as a symbol of bravery, self-denial, sacrifice and militancy.

Today’s ceremony also constitutes an excellent opportunity to personally meet valuable cadres of the artillery, with a wide knowledge of their science and the developments of their Arm.

This year, as we do every year, along with the memory of the saint we honour the immortal heroes of our artillery, who sacrificed their lives for freedom, independence and the integrity of our country, who fell for faith and homeland.

At this moment let us send our thoughts to our heroic dead, to assure them that their sacrifice will show the way of duty to our country, declaring everywhere that our army and our artillery has the capability, the volition and decisiveness to protect what we consider most sacred from any threat.

Since the establishment of the first artillery group in 1821 until now, the deeds of our artillery cadres are written on every page of our history. Artillery, with its glorious course throughout the Nation’s struggles, occupies a special place in the hearts and consciousness of the Greek people.

Nowadays it is clear that this Arm encompasses all the scientific and technological developments, making it a force multiplier in every field of military operations, from that of traditional warfare up to the modern hybrid operations.

Of course none of these would matter if the human factor was not present.

Looking into your eyes I can feel that before me stand cadres and conscripts who are set apart because of their excellent military and scientific knowledge, who honour the maxim on the emblem of the artillery “Power Through Knowledge” to the greatest extent.

The same stands for all the Armed Forces and constitutes the most irrefutable evidence that our homeland remains standing and dignified, as it has a powerful and reliable defence system.

It has Armed Forces recognised and honoured by allies and partners alike, formidable to the opponents and is in general a powerful arm of deterrence which guarantees the territorial integrity and the national independence of our country.

It has Armed Forces standing by the side of the Greek citizens.

Although our purpose here today is different, I must mention the physical disaster which damaged the area and the resulting loss of life and destruction of property.

We are all shaken and we want to express our deep sorrow and our sincere condolences to the victims’ families, but also my, the Chiefs’ and all the Armed Forces’ succor to the citizens who went through this ordeal.

As you concluded from the beginning of this ordeal, the Armed Forces are in full readiness, assisting in the coordinated efforts of the whole state apparatus.

The residents of Western Attica, damaged severely, want to see results, want us to overcome bureaucracy, change our response times and sense their needs.

The decisions were made rapidly and the activation of all the bodies for the security and service of the citizens was immediate.

Right now there are next to us damaged areas with 150 members of the Armed Forces working daily with 50 special machines of the three services, aiming to repair the damages caused by the natural disaster and help the distressed inhabitants return to their every day lives.

Furthermore, since the first days we took office, we set as a basic pillar of our policy the wide participation of the Armed Forces in actions for the benefit of society.

At this point I would like to express my gratitude to the Officers, NCOs and members of the National Guard who participated in these operations.

Mr. Mayor I want to assure you that the Armed Forces will stand by your side – and by the side of the inhabitants of Mandra and Megara – for anything that you may need, in order to alleviate the pain from that great disaster.

Officers, Reserve Officer Cadets, NCOs and Soldiers,

I invite you to renew our promise that we will continue our course based on the ideals of freedom and democracy.

I recognise that all of the personnel, at the borders of the Greek territory, from Evros to Kastelorizo and Cyprus do everything in their power for the benefit of the homeland.

Go on with a sense of responsibility and high morale to the upgrade of our artillery’s capabilities, keeping in mind the historic heritage of the struggles and sacrifices of the artillery cadres before you.

I Wish You All the Best.

May Saint Barbara always stand by the side of your guns and give you and your families health and strength”.