Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, Cadets, soldiers, seamen, airmen, national guards and civilian personnel of the Hellenic Armed Forces.
Following a decision by the Governmental Council of National Defense and Foreign Policy, I assume command of the HNDGS, today, from the worthy Admiral Panagiotis Chinofotis. I would like to thank the departing Chief, because with his knowledge and experience succeeded to lay new foundations to the defense diplomacy, contributed at the maximum to the improvement of the Hellenic Armed Forces, enhancing their restructure, strengthening the sense for security to the Greek People and the moral of the military personnel.
The assumption of the leadership of the Hellenic Armed Forces, the highest office in the Hellenic Armed Forces Chain of Command, entrusted to me by the Political Leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the Hellenic Government, constitutes the expression of the utmost honor to me, and I feel the need to express my deep and warmest thanks.
With respect to the work of the predecessors and realizing the magnitude of the responsibility, I would like to assure you that the Hellenic Armed Forces will prove worthy of your expectations.
Our mission is to defend the country, support and promote national interests, continuous strengthening of the deterrence capability, as well as to respond to the country’s international commitments. This significant mission and the size of the work define the demands of the Greek People towards its Armed Forces.
The international environment, the contemporary threats and the geostrategic position of our country, intensify the need for reliable and strong armed forces, such as the Hellenic Armed Forces, that constitute a point of reference world wide.
Greece is a factor of strength, peace, stability and cooperation in the South-Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.
The requirement for a realistic approach for even more up-to-date, capable, flexible and effective Armed Forces, in the frame of the Unified Defense Area, and the maximization of our deterrence capability imposed Jointness.
The nature of the parameters for the implementation of Jointness demands a continuous, repeated, multidimensional and aggregated handling. This leads to the evolution of the Armed Forces that, as a vision, will constitute a reasonable continuation of the implementation and making worthy of the changes so far applied in the Armed Forces, exploiting at the same time the lessons learned from the modern military thought and experience.
We must construct forces well organized and trained, capable to adjust rapidly to any threat with accuracy, immediate response, flexibility and efficiency so as to fulfill the expected objective in a cost effective manner, both in personnel and means.
Apart from the security of our national integrity, the Armed Forces are also obliged to consider the international commitments of the country, as they derive from participation in NATO and the EU, in the framework of the defense diplomacy.
We should also remember the social contribution of the Armed Forces to the Greek Society, with the late example of the significant assistance in the environment protection and the forest asset of the country, even at the priceless cost of human lives.
All the Armed Forces cadres should adopt the idea that the Greek People embrace us and the State supports us.
We walk to the future with respect to the past, with inspiration, vision, and dynamic pace towards the future. The Greek People should be certain that the Armed Forces feel its heavy financial burden and offer and ensure that, through efficient Armed Forces, the financial strength of the country is also ensured, as well as the strength of the Greek Society whose part is the human resources of the Armed Forces too.
My efforts are solely dedicated to the consolidation of discipline, continuous operational readiness, effective training, strengthening Jointness, without neglecting the discernible role of each Branch, the human factor, respect to meritocracy, and safety of personnel and means.
Inspired with vision, enthusiasm, moral principles, will and persistence to the implementation of our duties, embraced with the support of the State and the caring feelings of the Greek People, I am certain we will fully respond to our mission.
To the outgoing Chief, Admiral Panagiotis Chinifotis, I would like to express, once more, the gratitude of all of us, for his long and constructive support, together with our heart felt wishes for health and personal and family happiness.
With the optimism of success and with the help of God to the fulfillment of our mission, we exclaim :
Long Live the Nation
Long Live the Armed Forces
General Dimitrios Grapsas
Chief, HNDGS