The Deputy Minister of National Defence Thanasis Davakis attended yesterday, Thursday 02 July 2026, as representative of the President of the Government, the Oath-taking Ceremony of the new 2 nd Lieutenants, which took place at the facilities of the Air Force Academy at the Dekeleia Air Base. The ceremony was honoured by the presence of H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas, who presented the swords to the oath-taking officers.
The doxology was officiated by the Metropolitan Bishop of Ilion, Acharnae and Petroupoli Mr Athinagoras.
Other attendees were the C’ Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Athanasios Bouras, as representative of the Speaker of the Parliament, the MP Michail Katrinis, as Representative of the Chief of the Major Opposition, the MP Giannis Oikonomou, the Chief of HNDGS General Dimitrios Choupis, foreign states ambassadors, the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General (Pilot) Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras HN, the Deputy Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Andreas Koronakis, as representative of the Chief of HAGS and the Commandant of the Air Force Academy Major General (Pilot) Ioannis Karamanis.
Additional attendees were members of the Supreme Air Council, representatives of Security Forces, the Judiciary, representatives of foreign diplomatic legations in Greece, Honorary Chiefs of HAFGS, active and retired Officers, as well as relatives of the new Officers.
A total of 175 new Officers graduated from the Academy. In particular, 163 2 nd Lieutenants took the oath (147 from Greece, 9 from Cyprus, 2 from Jordan, 2 from Montenegro, 2 from Senegal and 1 from Tunisia), as well as 12 2 nd Lieutenants of the Joint IT Corps.
After the end of the ceremony, Mr Davakis stated:
“I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the new 2 nd Lieutenants of our Air Force and the new 2 nd Lieutenants of the Joint IT Corps for the meritorious completion of their training and their integration to the Armed Forces personnel of our country.
The new officers are called to serve with faith, a high sense of responsibility and devotion to their mission, either through the cockpits of our modern fighters and the critical posts of ground support, or from the frontline of digital defence and cyber- security of the army.
I am certain that they will be proven worthy of our Nation’s expectations, constituting the shield but also the spear of our national sovereignty, in the air as well as at the modern digital operations field”.
