Thursday 4th June marked a historic day for the Greek Army as its first group of female volunteers presented themselves at the Military Training Centre in Lamia for induction. There are already women in Greek Army, making up about 17% of the total personnel, but they are people who volunteered individually and entered mainly after attending military colleges. The current intake represents the first mass recruitment of volunteers to enter at the infantry level – the Army refers to them as hoplites, an Ancient Greek term for the citizen-soldiers of Ancient Greek city-states.

The recruitment for an advertised 100 places attracted 170 applicants, of which following initial assessment 72 were accepted. Arriving at the Training Centre, some of them accompanied by their parents, the new recruits said they were looking forward to the new experiences which service would bring, albeit with a degree of anxiety. The parents’ for their part declared their pride in and wholehearted support of their daughters’ decision.

The young women’s motivations for volunteering were varied, among them the potential benefits for their future careers which include:
– recognition of time spent in the service as work experience,
– bonus points in the public sector recruitment exams of the Public Sector Recruitment Agency (ASEPE),
– priority hiring after service in civilian roles—including nurses, nursery school teachers and administrative staff,
– access to benefits open to Armed Forces personnel (military hospitals, service clubs etc).
Participants will also receive official certifications documenting the skills they acquired during their service — such as nurse assistant, data analyst or telecoms technician.

The recruits were welcomed at the training centre by the Chief of Army General Staff Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis. The swearing-in of the new volunteers will lake place place on 26th June, at a ceremony to be attended by the Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias and possibly the Prime Minister.

Service period and qualifications
The volunteers are signed up for a period of 12 months. Initial training at the centre will last 10 weeks, after which the volunteers will receive one months’ specialist training before being dispersed to their service units. Announcing the recruitment programme in March, To Vima stated that recruitment was open to women of 20 to 26 years, with an initial target of 200 recruits, adding: “According to defence officials, the training will rely on existing military infrastructure and will focus on areas such as logistics, IT and administrative support. Priority will be given to applicants who hold degrees from universities and other tertiary institutes, as well as vocational diplomas in fields such as information technology, administration and health care. Candidates will undergo the same medical examinations and psychometric testing required of male conscripts.”

Addressing the media on the day of induction, the Commander of the Newly Recruited Soldier Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Konstantina Klonari, said:
“Today is a historic day for the Greek Army, as we have the pleasure and the responsibility to receive and to train the first female voluntary recruits in the history of the Greek Republic. Their incorporation completes the equal representation of women in the Armed Forces, contributes to an increase in the strength of the Greek Army and therefore reinforces its operational readiness and further increases the links of the Greek Army with Greek society. Their quarters were assessed in conformity with the many years of experience we have acquired in the Armed Forces and with the criterion of the most suitable and modern living conditions for the recruits.”
(www.lamiareport.gr)

Visit by the Defence Minister
In the days following induction a substantial number of recruits were reported to have dropped out, prompting a visit on 11th June by the Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, who gave a speech of welcome to the volunteers, expressing the hope that their period of service would be the prelude to a long-term association with the Armed Forces:

“First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Nikos Dendias, I am the Minister of National Defence. This means that I am responsible for the combat readiness of the Hellenic Army. First, I would like to wholeheartedly thank you for your choice. It is very important for us.

“The provision for female volunteers in the Hellenic Army has existed for 50 years. This is the first time this is implemented because there were difficulties, understandable difficulties. So we are trying to overcome these difficulties and you enable us to do so. So thank you for your choice.

“Second, I would like you to be honest on your part with your officers, male and female. We must understand what is not done right, what needs to change. I don’t want to be misunderstood. This is the Army, not holidays, not a hotel. But it is an Army of citizens. Which means that we want everyone to feel that they contribute to the country and society.

“They used to say that military service is a drag. We want to change this to a military service that is an opportunity. An opportunity to contribute to the country, to society, and to oneself by learning things and acquiring capabilities.

“So you have the most difficult task of all. To start a procedure. The Unit here has a motto: “Archi pantos imiou” – the beginning is half of the whole. It’s always like that. If we make a start, the rest becomes easier. So you will help us, you will help the country, your family, society, not us in the narrow sense, to be able to achieve this.

“And we stand – just like your officers – beside you. I told you before, we really appreciate what you are doing. Really. Deeply. And we would like to keep you close to the Armed Forces over time, not just for a short period of a few months, but for ever, in different capacities. Because your presence here shows that you also feel something for the national coat of arms you carry and the uniform you wear.

“I wholeheartedly thank you again! All the best to you and your families. And don’t forget that we will stand beside you in this effort.”
(Source: Ministry of Defence website)