On Wednesday, 20 November 2024, the Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr Giannis Kefalogiannis attended a briefing and sensitisation event regarding marrow donation, held at the Amphitheatre
“First Lieutenant Nikolaos Sialmas” of the Air Force Academy.

Addressing the students of the Air Force Academy and of the Regular Non-Commissioned Officers Academy of the Air Force, Mr Kefalogiannis stressed that since April, at the Ministry of National Defence, a systematic campaign has started regarding contribution and volunteerism actions, which so far has been productive, as new volunteers are constantly getting sensitised and added, ascertaining the profound social conscience of the Armed Forces personnel. At the same time, being a volunteer marrow donor himself, he appealed to the new Air Force Cadets and Candidate Officers to be supportive to this noble cause, as the Army and Navy Academies have successfully done, and thus deploy, in a single move, the salvation parachute for our suffering fellow humans.

Due to the extremely high number of volunteer students, that only today surpassed 500, the action will be repeated next week.

The event was attended by Chief/HAFGS Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Gregoriadis representing Chief/HNDGS, the Reverend Metropolitan of Ilion, Acharnai and Petroupoli Athinagoras, the Commander of the Air Force Academy Major General Gregorios Karabitianis and the Commander of the Regular NCOs Academy of the Air Force Brigadier General Antonios Tsalabounis, as well as academic personnel of both Academies.

The following individuals made addresses: Chief/HAFGS, the Scientific Director of the Association “Vision of Hope” professor Mr Stylianos Grafakos, the Head of the Transplant National Organisation Directorate Mr Stavros Kepentzis, the Representative of the Centre of Briefing and Attraction of Volunteer Marrow Donors of the Patras University Ms Maria Kostoglou, the Marrow Donor Lieutenant Colonel Georgios Zaharopoulos and the Marrow Recipient Mr Efthymios Karananas. The address of the President of the Association “VISION OF HOPE” Ms Christiana V. Vardinogianni was read by Mr Stylianos Grafakos.

In his address, the Deputy Minister of National Defence stated, among other things:

“It is a great pleasure and honour to be among members and students of the Air Force Academies of our Country. The Air Force Academy and the Regular NCOs Academy of the Air Force, providing the framework for another social action for the briefing of candidate volunteer marrow donors. The Air Force Academy, being one of the first Military Air Force Academies worldwide, has been the springboard of distinguished and excellent Officers for a century. The Regular NCOs Academy of the Air Force, on its part, functions as a basic pillar of support of the air war-machine of our country. Besides, it is a fact that without the ground personnel no asset flies. The high quality of the personnel is the decisive factor of our Air Force’s operation.

Professor, representative of the president of the Executive Board of the Association “Vision of Hope”,

“Vision of Hope”, thanks to its constant and long work throughout the years, has been promoting the value of contribution, has united the Greek society for this sacred cause and has helped, in many ways, numerous fellow humans who have been suffering severely. Today, here, at the cradle of the members of our Air Force, we hope to continue the reinforcement of the bank of the candidate volunteer marrow donors. Thus far, the effort of our cooperation has been productive, since it has achieved especially positive results. We are absolutely certain that the flow of candidate donors will continue with the same momentum, today as well.

Chief,

The members of the Air Force, demonstrating high operational readiness and with their extraordinary capabilities, guarantee the effective countering of the modern challenges and potential threats. Especially regarding the Search and Rescue field, our members, with professionalism and self-sacrifice save every day our fellow humans who are in danger. Today, the hotbed of the Air Force is called to participate voluntarily in a different rescue mission: that of Marrow Donation.

Commander of the Air Force Academy, Commander of the Regular NCOs Academy of the Air Force,

Apart from the perfect training provided to the young men and women, you have been assigned the duty of the guardian of the principles, values and traditions of your Academies. Today, I invite you to write together a new page in the History of the Air Force and together encourage the students to make a generous contribution and become volunteer marrow donors.

Dear Air Force Cadets and Candidate Officers,

Taking into account the high level of the training provided, your skills, as well as the values you believe in and spread from generation to generation, for almost a century, you have been chosen as the most suitable audience for a lecture on Marrow Donation. You are also being given the opportunity, if you so wish, to actively participate in the initiative of the Ministry of National Defence.

I must inform you that I have participated in saliva sampling and I am now registered in the tank of the volunteer donors. Therefore, I encourage you to do the same, proving that your generation has humanitarian values, is active and will leave a positive footprint. In the centres of sample-taking set up today, especially for you, you can participate in the most simple, painless and brief process and become messengers of volunteerism and humanism. Now, in 2024, we have the knowledge on how to solve an intractable problem and how to put an end to the agony of our fellow humans. Thus, we are not allowed to pretend we do not see and abstain from our duty as people and as active members of our society.

I would like to conclude with the following words, familiar to everyone:

“We will become much better” and “Act when possessing knowledge”. Follow them in every aspect of your life and apply them today, participating in the life campaign we are conducting with “Vision of Hope”.

Deploy in turn, with a single move, the salvation parachute of a fellow human, as the Military and Navy Academies have already done.