The Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos, accompanied by the Chief HNDGS Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis HN, and the Chief HNGS Rear Admiral Nikolaos Tsounis HN, attended the Ceremony commemorating the 60th Anniversary since the establishment of the Underwater Demolition School.

During his speech, the Minister of National Defence, stated amongst others the following:

“Needless to mention that it gives me such great pleasure and pride to be with you today at the premises of the Underwater Demolition School, together with the renowned frogmen, both on active duty and veterans, to celebrate the 60th anniversary since the establishment of the School.

A School that provides training for so many years to officers performing the most significant duty for the country. Officers who ensure the defence of the country with their high morale, their relentless training, discipline and the proper performance of their assignments. Assignments that are often classified as “top secret” or “of special handling” or other assignments that cannot even be found in the archives, in order to be used as material for the future historiographer. Assignments though that have safeguarded the national sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the country.

As we visit today the premises where the Unit operates and is being trained, I would like to assure you that we are preparing for a new day for the Underwater Demolition Command. It is known that each day of the frogmen life is characterized by their strenuous training, in order to obtain specific skills that combine the strength with the soul, the daring with the responsibility, the courage with the knowledge.

This is evident to the Greek people and the Navy that feels proud of you. Whenever you are engaged in operations, you fully respond to your duty, with determination, spirit, based on a plan and allegiance to the country and the ideals that we all serve together.

We all draw strength from you example, from the way you perform your duties; we learn how it feels to offer to the country and the nation. I would like you to know that the effectiveness of the Armed Forces – and the frogmen in particular – over the whole range of their activities, represents a message to all, both to our allies and partners that have chosen their special forces to get trained in Greece, in Crete, at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre, and also to our enemies. A message of reliability, stability, but mainly a message of deterrence.

Dear officers of the Underwater Demolition Command, we are here today to honour the veteran frogmen; some of them are no longer with us, but they will always be in our memory.

Addressed to former Commanders of the Underwater Demolition Unit, as well as to Nikos Kartelias, the most senior frogman, I would like to mention that tradition was built by you responsibly and conscientiously.

You managed to instill in younger people the real meaning of your mission and I am confident that not only the political and military leadership, but also each member of the wider family of our Armed Forces and the Greek people, feels the same satisfaction.

Commander of the Underwater Demolition Command, I would like to congratulate you on the efficient organization and the high level of operational training and the premises of your Unit.

I would like to assure you that we will use our best efforts to further improve the operating conditions of the Unit, so that they would fully respond to the high-level work that you carry out, but also to your needs.

As the Chief of the HNDGS also mentioned, within the following days the formation of the Special Forces Command of the Hellenic Armed Forces shall be announced and particular importance shall be given to our officers’ training and evolution.

I would like to underline that we promote the redress of grievances of the past with regard to the allowance granted to the Underwater Demolition Command officers and we will see immediately to the funds required for the modernization of the unit.

As Minister of Defence, I would like to say that I have a special relationship with the Unit. I have not served here, but God helped me to meet in person two of the best Greek frogmen that I had the honor of being close to for may years: the ever memorable Manolis Papagrigorakis, who was one of the persons that taught me diving together with Nikos Kartelias, Alexandros Papadongonas, Giannis Peridis that we still go diving together, Giorgos Dervisis and others. Manolis Papagrigorakis, who is not only the starting point of diving for the Armed Forces, but with his book entitled “The Underwater Man”, opened the eyes of those who have been engaged in diving and up to this day, they commence this activity as students.

Then, I had the honour to meet in person “Danny” Theofanidis. We have always been close together with “Danny” and he had honored me with his cooperation when I became Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Mercantile Marine and Island Policy and certainly, it God had not separated us, he would still be next to me in the Ministry of National Defence. He was an officer, who became a legend for the Armed Forces, but also left a legacy.

The fact that you are all gathered here today does not only involve hard training and solidarity; it has to do also with all the legends that have been heard about this Unit and much less has been heard compared to what has actually been done.

Therefore, I would like to mention that this meeting today does not constitute a remembrance for everything that has occurred up to yesterday, but it constitutes a prospect for tomorrow. The presence of all of you from every corner of Greece, from our islands, from Thessaloniki constitutes a guarantee for the future, because as long as Greek frogmen exist, no-one will ever dare to question our national sovereignty.

As for the political leadership, I would like you to know that the rules of engagement are liberalized and they know well that whoever dares to step on a Greek territory, will cease to exist a moment later.  Our flags no longer go with wind; we are the only ones who are lowering our flags, only to replace them whenever they are worn out”.