The best and brightest for the armed forces

The environment of confrontation in which Greece has historically been forced to operate is particularly demanding, given not only the geographic size and population of Turkey, but also its intentions and aspirations regarding the role it wants to play in a vast geographical area where Hellenism is not only present, but has its own role and interests.

In this context, alliances and strategic partnerships with regional and global players are useful; however, it is clear that ultimately, if there is a military conflict, Greece will be the one to defend itself.

Obviously, Greece’s participation in the European Union and NATO are parameters of power and are de facto part of any deterrent strategy, as well as any negotiating tactic; however, the Hellenic Armed Forces are the ones that will undertake the task of deterring any threat.

In this light, it is undoubtedly a positive development that the political leadership of the Ministry of Defense has adopted the logic of modernizing the armed forces, placing particular emphasis on the use of new technology, imported or, to the extent possible, domestic.

However, the effective operation of this defense structure has the human factor at its core. In order to make the most of the advanced technology of weapons systems, competent officers are required, and here there are worrying messages from Greece’s military academies, where a series of problems that need to be addressed are recorded – from the conditions prevailing in the schools to the lack of motivation and the comparatively low wages.

The design of the country’s defense, with the procurement of foreign and the production of domestic advanced weapons systems, requires high-level officers with knowledge and skills.

In this environment of technological and digital innovation, competition with the private sector in terms of wages, among others, is inevitably higher.

To manage the new reality of the 21st century, the Hellenic Armed Forces must be able to attract the best and the brightest, and retain them with a consistent and continuous approach that is based solely on meritocratic criteria.