The Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr Giannis Kefalogiannis attended today, Wednesday 26 June 2024, as representative of the President of the Hellenic Government, the Oath-taking ceremony of the New 2nd Lieutenants of Class 2024, held at the premises of the Hellenic Air Force Academy in Tatoi. The ceremony was honoured by the presence of Her Excellency the President of the Hellenic Republic Ms Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou, who handed the swords to the oath-taking 2nd Lieutenants.
Other attendees were the Chief of HNDGS General Dimitrios Choupis, the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General (Pilot) Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras HN and members of the Supreme Air Force Council.
The following individuals also attended: the Metropolitan Bishop of Ilion, Acharnae and Petroupoli Mr Athinagoras, the MP Mr Odysseas Konstantinopoulos as representative of the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, representatives of parties, Security Forces, Embassies, Honorary Chiefs, active and retired Officers, as well as relatives of the new 2nd Lieutenants.
72 2nd Lieutenants graduated from the Academy (39 Pilots, 8 Aircraft Engineers, 12 Telecommunications – Electronics Engineers and 13 Air Defence Controllers), of whom 61 are from Greece, 8 from Cyprus, 2 from Jordan and 1 from Montenegro.
After the conclusion of the ceremony, the Deputy Minister of National Defence made the following statement:
“From the premises of the iconic Hellenic Air Force Academy, I would like to express my most sincere congratulations to the new 2nd Lieutenants for the successful conclusion of their studies and wish them a bright future in their careers. After four challenging years of studies, they have secured the prerequisites to evolve into successful pilots or engineers, staff officers, leaders and scientists. To utilise the rapid technological development, drafting and implementing new defence doctrines, stemming from the lessons of current battlefields. During their career, they will have the opportunity to further upgrade their knowledge base, through undergraduate and postgraduate studies, while they will also have the opportunity to attend military schools, academies and colleges abroad, acquiring knowledge, expanding their critical thinking and shaping strategic perception. As the Ministry of National Defence, we will always stand by the side of our Airmen in every possible way, so that they can focus on their noble mission of defending the territorial integrity and the rights of our Homeland”.
