The Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos, accompanied by the Chief of HNDGS Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis and the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Alkiviadis Stefanis visited the Engineer School in Loutraki where he inaugurated 14 new apartments which will cover the housing needs of Armed Forces’ personnel.

The Minister of National Defence stated the following in his address:

“I am very pleased to be here today, in the Engineer School for the inauguration of 12 new Officers Quarters and 2 Professional Soldiers Quarters which were reconstructed and will cover the needs of personnel who serve here.

I am here to state once more that we continue our effort which began in 2015 to solve the long-lasting housing problem of Armed Forces’ personnel who travel, due to professional reasons, and it is them and their families that have to cover the cost.

Our vision that every officer will be able to find a house, when assigned to a new garrison area whether this is at the borders or in large cities, is being fulfilled.

Our actions prove we keep our promises. We have been working on this project with persistence and faith years long because the political and military leadership are well aware that the most powerful weapon of the Armed Forces is you, our personnel, our conscripts and national guards under the blessing of the Holy Virgin Mary.

In 2017, 108 apartments for officers, NCOs and professional soldiers were already delivered for use. In 2018, 41 apartments have been constructed so far, a part of which are the apartments we are inaugurating, and actions regarding 152 apartments are also underway. Our construction planning amounts to more than 300 apartments for this year.

Our objective is to have met more than 80% of the housing needs of officers, NCOs and professional soldiers by the end of our four-year mandate all over Greece.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our personnel’s welfare is a key element of our policy. 2018 has been declared as “Personnel Welfare Year” and we proceed with all the necessary activities for the military personnel, officers, NCOs and conscripts, as well as national guardsmen, to enjoy the best possible support regarding their housing and health care needs, as well as their families’ needs.

This is the least our state can do for the Armed Forces’ personnel; for those people who are willing to face any national challenge and to serve the community’s needs, ensuring the peace and prosperity of the Greek people.

To all them, to the personnel of the Armed Forces, the Prime Minister, the leaders of the Ministry of National Defence, the government and our nation can express but words of honour and acknowledgment.

At this point, I would like to stress the particular importance that the Engineer paid to the fulfilment of our vision of establishing a close relation between the Armed Forces and the Greek people during the crisis.

I would like to congratulate the officers, NCOs and the soldiers of the Engineer who, amid the crisis and despite the lack of means,  managed not only to respond to their main mission, but to prepare themselves for any mission, to actively participate in exercises, peace support operations and natural disaster relief as well. When we founded MOMKA nobody thought that with the assets that had remained from the legendary MOMA we could perform public construction works. Yet, on the Aegean islands, at the borders, in Mount Athos, you accomplished constructions works nobody believed you could respond to.

As I said to the Commander and the personnel before, when the refugee crisis began and the Prime Minister and I were in Brussels, the European Union asked for the five hotspots to be created on the islands. Two years had passed since Greece was asked to respond to this duty and only a 20-30% of the works required in only one of the hotspots had been completed. Within 13 days, you made Greece proud by constructing the 5 hotspots which hosted many families of refugees, victims of war.

I would also like to thank you in particular because when it was required, you helped us deal with natural disasters together, the last of which were the floods in the area of Attica Region with many human casualties.

Dear personnel of the Engineer School, I would like to assure you that we will have good news about our country in this week. Our country is completing the period of MOU austerity and supervision policies. The Greek people paid for this crisis over these eight years. Entire families were forced to live separately, people lost their jobs, Greek young people left abroad – and this was the worst for our nation – people suicided, children stopped their studies. But better days are coming.  

Within this week, we will also have Eurogroup’s final decision, thanks to the sacrifices of the Greek people and the efforts of the Greek government, and I hope that we will have the possibility to respond to every thing that Greek women and men and, of course, the personnel of the Armed Forces, the Security Corps and their families, have been deprived of over all these years.

I would like you to feel proud of the work you have undertaken since training is the key element for a successful execution of Army’s mission.

Your contribution to the community, through topical activities every year, demonstrates all the more your valuable contribution for local communities and particularly for the frontier areas.

I would like to assure you, Mr. Mayor of Loutraki, Mr. Deputy Regional Governor, that we will reinforce the Engineer. The Engineer with the new assets we have planned to receive, with the reinforcement of its personnel, will recover its past prestige and it will manage to assist the Greek society and, in parallel, prepare itself to deal with any threat.

Engineer is a front line fighting Arm. It is the first to go to the war. It is thanks to the Engineer that a road can be opened for the Armed Forces to face any threat. They are the first to go to the front and the last to return from it.

We are grateful for the Engineer, we honour our heroes of the Engineer and we respect all those who gave their lives for our country.

Concluding, I would like to congratulate the Hellenic Army General Staff, the Chief, the Commanders throughout the chain of command and particularly the personnel of the 731st Military Works Directorate for the construction of 12 Officers Quarters and the personnel of the 747th Special Engineer Battalion for the reconstruction of 2 Professional Soldiers Quarters.

The Hellenic National Defence General Staff, the Chief and I will continue to support the activities of HAGS Engineer Corps.

I wish the new residents of these quarters health, family happiness and I assure them that the political and military leadership will stand by them.

Enjoy your stay in the quarters. I wish the Holy Virgin protects you all.”