The Hellenic Army Academy was the personal vision of the first Governor of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias, who was the founder of the Academy. In June 1828, he announced the establishment of the Academy and even named the first five (5) students «Evelpides».
The long history of the Academy is intertwined with that of the Greek Nation in modern times, as it is the breeding ground from which personalities emerge, who played a significant role in the achievements of our Motherland.
The Academy in all the struggles of the Nation declares its presence by actively participating, since it is the reservoir of the cadres who struggle and sacrifice for the «Sacred and Ideal of the Tribe».
The State, recognizing the Academy's enormous contribution to the service of the Nation, awarded it the War Flag in 1926 and then decorated it with the First Class Medal of Military Merit in 1931, the War Cross of the First Class in 1943, the Brigadier of the Order of the Left Brave in 1946 and finally the Senior Brigadier of the Order of the Saviour in 1978.
The primary mission of the Academy is to provide military scientists and leaders to the Army through military life and multi ‒ faceted military and academic education.
Admission to the Academy is achieved by a high score on the ticketed national examination and the course of study lasts four years. Each year is divided into two semesters. The winter semester starts in September and ends in February, while the spring semester starts in March and ends in August. Each semester includes academic and military training, both theoretical and practical.
Each academic year consists of thirty-nine (39) weeks, of which twenty-six (26) are academic and thirteen (13) are purely military. Of these, four (4) weeks shall be used for the first and second semester examinations and eight (8) weeks shall be used for the cadets on leave of absence.
The Academy offers a broad academic education which complements as well as expands the military education. The academic Education program includes subjects from a wide range of disciplines, from Humanities and Social Sciences to Applied Sciences, from Chemistry to History and from Psychology to Engineering.
Military training begins in the first year, when the cadet undergoes Basic military Training and is trained in individual tactics. He continues through the following years and becomes proficient in group and platoon command and learns the elements of organization and operation of the Infantry Company. Military training takes place either in the area of Vari or in other places around Greece (Litochoro Pieria, Parnassos, etc.).
Physical education plays an important role in the training of the cadet, with the aim, on the one hand, of his personal empowerment in order to cope with the hardships and the demanding lifestyle of the military and, on the other hand, the ability to function as an instructor, who will develop and execute an appropriate, safe and effective physical education program for his subordinates.
In addition to the intensive programme for the improvement of the physical fitness of the cadets, internal championships are organised every year between the two Battalions in various sports, as well as a Championship between the Academies, in which the Hellenic Army Academy counts many successes every year.
The cadets’ corps is organized into a Regiment of two (2) Battalions. The Battalions are named in honor of heroes, 1st Battalion of the Eagles «Colonel Velissarios Ioannis» and 2nd Battalion of the Eagles «Colonel Paparrodou Ioannis». The Academy currently trains students from 20 countries. The multi ‒ ethnicity of the composition gives the Academy the role of an ambassador of our morals and traditions outside the Greek borders. All cadets follow the same intense and demanding programme of military and academic training regardless of nationality and gender.
Upon completion of studies at the Academy, many of its graduates are accepted and continue their studies either in postgraduate or undergraduate programs for the acquisition of a second degree in various Greek and foreign Higher Institutions.
For the formation of the cadets into Leaders, all staff, academic and military, provide themselves as an example and admonish the young cadets, from their admission to the Academy, on the ideals and principles that characterize the Greek Officer. Ethos is a required element and life in the Academy is governed by the Evelpidon Code of Honor.
In an effort to continuously improve the training of Greek Officers, a program is underway to upgrade the training provided in the Academy.
