The Deputy Minister of National Defence, Mr. Giannis Kefalogiannis, visited on Wednesday 29 May 2024 the Army Aviation Training Center, the I Infantry Division “SMYRNI” and the B’ Commando Squadron in the Prefecture of Imathia.
At first, the Deputy Minister visited the headquarters of the Army Aviation Training Center, where he was welcomed by the Director HAGS/AAVD Major General Ioannis Cheimarios, the Commander of the Army Aviation Training Center Colonel Grigorios Folas, the Commander of the 3rd Army Aviation Helicopter Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Efthymios Dimitriou and the Commander of the Army Aviation School Lieutenant Colonel Emmanouil Iliadis.
Then, he visited the I Infantry Division and the B’ Commando Squadron, where he was welcomed by the Commander of the Special Warfare Command Lieutenant General Prokopios Mavraganis and the Commander Major General Nikolaos Giannopoulos respectively. Mr. Kefalogiannis was briefed about the structure, the organization, the mission and the current activities of units, while he delivered speeches to members and soldiers, and conversed with them.
During his visit in the Army Aviation Training Center, he made a flight in a OH-58 Kiowa Warrior owned by the 3rd Army Aviation Helicopter Battalion.
On completion of the visits, the Deputy Minister of Defence made the following statement:
“I am here today, in Imathia, where I had the pleasure of visiting the headquarters of the Army Aviation Training Center. The Army Aviation flying Units maintain a constant state of readiness, and at the same time participate in operations jointly with the special forces of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Moreover, they carry out a number of actions for purposes of social benefit, such as airborne fire-fighting, air evacuation, etc., in the context of the Armed Forces’ social role.
Then, I visited the I Infantry Division “SMYRNI” that is capable of conducting airborne, airlift and amphibious operations on an independent basis, but also within the framework of supporting the general strategic maneuver, thus ensuring the implementation of the overall defence planning.
I also visited the B’ Commando Squadron, which is specialized in mountain combat and unconventional warfare.
During my visits, I had the opportunity of witnessing the excellent operational readiness of units and the high morale of their members.
I would like to express my gratitude to the entire personnel, which performs its duties with a high level of professionalism and a strong sense of responsibility, in fact proving that it constitutes our greatest weapon system and indisputable force multiplier.
As the leadership of the Ministry of National Defence, we recognize the effort, the needs and the sacrifices of the Armed Forces’ men and women and we are constantly working to improve the working conditions, to upgrade the equipment and to ensure the best possible conditions for the execution of their mission.”
