The Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, attended, Thursday afternoon 23 July 2026, the inauguration ceremony of the reconstructed Lounge of the Hellenic Air force Academy, through a donation by the Founder and Chairman of the IOGR “SKY Express” Group Ioannis Gryllos and his family.

The Minister of National Defence stressed in his address:

“It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be here, once more, at the Hellenic Air Force Academy.

At a place which, as wisely said by the Chief of the Air Force, shapes tomorrow’s Officers of our Air Force, the leaders of the Service, meaning the people who will be called to serve the national interest at the skies of our Homeland and defend our sovereignty and sovereign rights.

Today we inaugurate the new lounge of the Air Force Academy, through donation by Mr Giannis Gryllos, and at the same time we honour him, by awarding him the rank of honorary Brigadier General of our Air Force.

Therefore, the ceremony has a dual meaning and, allow me, a very profound symbolism. The dual meaning has to do with the great need to modernise our facilities. Parenthetically, I have often repeated the view that we must change everything, but we cannot change everything, if we don’t change first the environment on which we train the young people who will manage the future of our Homeland. A few days ago, I told the Academy that the Homeland has to build these facilities, which will attribute a feeling of superiority to those wearing the honoured uniform of the Hellenic Armed Forces.

However, next to the effort of our Homeland we must also add the solidarity of the Greek society, and especially of those privileged in the Greek society. It is exceptionally important, dear Mr Gryllos, not just the fact of your contribution, but mainly the example. To carry to the Greek society the message of the perception of giving back to the society what the Homeland gave to us all, as you wisely and laconically expressed.

However, I have to say that this example is followed by several but not by many. Therefore, every new contribution is exceptionally important.

Furthermore, allow me to mention you especially for a while. Often, as you know, in the ceremony of blessing, before the Gospel, the second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy is read, one of his final epistles, where he actually mentions his own course. While Paul the Apostle is referring to his own course, as you know Your Reverence, he says “I have fought the good fight”. And after a while he also says “henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing”.

Therefore, dear Giannis, has indeed fought the good fight and consequently I am not the righteous judge to give him the crown of righteousness. I can however, in the name of the Hellenic Armed Forces, award you by Presidential Decree, the rank of Brigadier General, which is not just an honour. It means you are embraced in the extended family of the Armed Forces.

I am certain that your contribution is not the only one. The dear Chief of the Air Force has already mentioned others, but it makes you a member of this family and we can always count on your love, cooperation and assistance and allow us to use your example to affect the other Greeks of the Greek society.

I warmly thank you”.

Attendees at the ceremony were the Chief of HNDGS General Dimitrios Choupis, the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General (Pilot) Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, His Eminence the Metropolitan Bishop of Ilion, Acharnae and Petroupoli Mr Athinagoras, the Vice Head of the Eastern Attica Region Dimitrios Damaskos as representative of the Head of the Attica Region, the benefactor with his family, the Chief of Staff of HNDGS Lieutenant General (Pilot) Konstantinos Bouzos, the Commanding General of the Superior Military Command of Army Support Lieutenant General Athanasios Saplaouras, the Commander of the Navy Logistics Command Vice Admiral (Eng) Pierros Kontodios HN and the Director of HAFGS Inspections Directorate Major General (Pilot) Efthymios Simitzis. 

An address was also delivered by the Commandant of the Air Force Academy Major General (Pilot) Ioannis Karamanis. After the inauguration ceremony, Mr Dendias toured the new facilities and subsequently the ceremony for the award of the rank of honorary Brigadier General of the Air Force to the Founder and Chairman of the ΙΟGR “SKY Express” Group Mr Ioannis Gryllos was conducted in the Hall of Honour of the Air Force Academy.