The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias attended today, Thursday 27 November 2025, the award ceremony of the Meritorious Action Medal to the members of the Armed Forces who participated in the Greek mission of humanitarian aid and medical contribution to the flood suffering citizens of Libya, on 17/09/2023.

In the ceremony which was performed in the Officers Club, the Minister of National Defence awarded the Meritorious Action Medal, after death, to the following members of the Armed Forces, because as members of the Greek mission of humanitarian aid and medical contribution to the flood suffering citizens of Libya, on 17/09/2023, in the Marawah area, they died due to a car accident, of the vehicle which transferred them from Benina Airport in Benghazi to the wider region of Derna:

Rear Admiral (Med/Nurse) Glykeria Memekidou

Major General (HAF-Med/Nurse) Evangelia Andreadaki

Colonel (INF) Georgios Voulgaris.

The medals were received by their close relatives.

Upon suggestion of the Minister of National Defence, the Meritorious Action Medal was also awarded to the following members of the Armed Forces, because as members of the Greek mission of humanitarian aid and medical contribution to the flood suffering citizens of Libya, on 17/09/2023, with great courage and self-sacrifice, they did everything in order to ensure the safety and physical integrity of themselves and the rest of the mission’s members:

Brigadier General (INF) Theofanis Dimakos

Lieutenant Colonel (Med/Doc) Georgios Koliofotis

Lieutenant Colonel (Med/Doc) Panagiotis Toumasis

Lieutenant Commander (Med/Doc) Christos Barkolias

Major (Med/Doc) Lazaros Kalabalikis

Captain (INF) Alexandros-Konstantinos Rokos

Warrant Officer (INF) Stylianos Trikionis

Master Sergeant (INF) Dimitrios Tomazinos

Flight Sergeant (Airport Defence Private) Minas Bakousis

Sergeant (Special Operations Airport Defence Private) Dimosthenis Theoharis.

During the ceremony, Mr Dendias stated:

“We are here today to honour the 16 members of the Armed Forces, who projected the content of the military duty:

Today’s award ceremony of the Meritorious Action Medal is not merely a typical procedure for the Ministry and its Political Leadership, but I think also for the Greek society.

We honour the members, who, serving in a mission of humanitarian aid abroad, projected the constitutional essence of the mission of the Hellenic Armed Forces.

The support of the interests and values of the Country, outside our narrow geographical boundaries as well. Our members sacrificed their life in this attempt.

As a minimum of tribute, I am bound by duty to state the names of the 3 fallen members and the 2 children of the President of the Hellenic Community in Benghazi who are not among us today:

Rear Admiral Glykeria Memekidou HN

Major General Evangelia Andreadaki HAF

Colonel (INF) Georgios Voulgaris

Angela and Filippos Mandalios

The mentioning of the names and the memory of loss is a reminder that the Armed Forces are not an impersonal institution. They consist of people.

I would like to state, that the expression, “killed in vain” which I saw in the newspapers of the time, I deem inappropriate when applied to people who sacrificed their life serving certain ideals and in the interest and for the values of their country.

I consider such a description as unjust to their memory and as belittling to the impact of their loss.

Our personnel and the two children of the President of the Greek Community did not die in vain. On the contrary, they sacrificed their life on the altar of justice.

They were not victims of a “mere accident”, such as those we mourn, also painfully, every weekend when there are mass excursions from Athens to the countryside.

Our personnel, these people, were lost while “knowingly” serving their country and its morality.

They are men and women who served, as did they whom we honour today, dedicated to their duty, in a demanding, unstable environment.

Today, I have to express my own and the whole Armed Forces’ deep sorrow, for the recent loss of Professional Soldier, Private Galyfianakis Rafail Georgios, during a grenade launch exercise yesterday on Rhodes, while performing his duty. I wish his family courage and strength in this trying moment.

I would also like to wish Professional Soldier, Staff Sergeant Vardaris Michail, who was injured during the same incident, a rapid recuperation.

For the Armed Forces, casualties while performing duties are a legacy. We ought, and want to safeguard, as well as showcase, the memory of those lost while serving the national duty, in the most solemn way. Expressing our gratefulness to all families, not fragmentarily, in the framework of a ceremony, but throughout time, as a stance of boundless and continuous support.

We ought to demonstrate that society is at the side of these families. Thus, the unity of Hellenism is brought to the forefront.

Memory, which we also honour, is an element of the continuity of the Armed Forces, this institution which guarantees national independence, that is, the capability of Greek citizens to decide for themselves, sovereignly, on their Country’s future.

I deemed that a legislative overhaul is needed, as is the case with the new bill, which will be voted presently by the Hellenic Parliament, and which will have retroactive force.

I have added the humanitarian missions of the Armed Forces to the definition of “bravery”, since I think this expresses and showcases the broader role the Armed Forces are called upon to play, whether domestically – as is the case with many natural disasters – or abroad, serving the fellow human.

Consequently, today, by awarding the Medal for Outstanding Acts, the Country pays back what is owed.

I would like to conclude by repeating that the memory of those who have served the Country and laid down their lives for it, remain eternal to us”.

The ceremony was also attended by the Chief/HNDGS, General Dimitrios Choupis, the Secretary General of the Ministry of National Defence Antonios Oikonomou, the Chief/HAGS, Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief/HNGS, Vice Admiral Dimitrios Eleftherios Kataras HN, and the Chief/HAFGS, Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, the Commanding General of Special Warfare Command, Lieutenant General Georgios Manouras, the Director of the HNDGS Medical Directorate, Major General (Med) Konstantinos Siafakas. Also in attendance were relatives of the recipients of the Medal and relatives of the deceased personnel.