{"id":10221,"date":"2026-06-11T17:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T14:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/?p=10221"},"modified":"2026-06-11T17:51:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T14:51:00","slug":"nikos-dendias-the-enlistment-of-the-first-female-volunteer-privates-in-the-armed-forces-marks-a-historic-milestone-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/?p=10221","title":{"rendered":"Nikos Dendias: The enlistment of the first female volunteer privates in the Armed Forces marks a historic milestone (photos)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Visit <\/b>to the Military Equipment Training Center in Lamia<\/b>, where last week the first women <\/b>volunteers in the army<\/b>, was held by Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias<\/b>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Training Center in Lamia marks a significant and major turning point in the history of the Hellenic Armed Forces. It was here that the first female volunteer privates<\/b> of the Greek Army were enlisted. The legal framework had existed since 1977, but for 49 years it remained completely inactive, and now we are reactivating this provision of the law with an improved legal framework,\u201d emphasized Nikos Dendias during his visit to the Lamia Recruit Training Center (KEUF), where the first female volunteer privates of the Greek Armed Forces were enlisted.<\/p>\n

\"6996805-1.jpg\"<\/figure>\n

During his visit to the KEN in Lamia (KEUF), the Minister of National Defense was accompanied by the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis. Mr. Dendias <\/b>was briefed in detail by the commander of the KEN, observed part of the training of the female volunteer soldiers<\/b>, toured their company\u2019s barracks, and subsequently visited the dining facilities, kitchens, and the restaurant. He also had the opportunity to speak with the female volunteers, whom he thanked for their choice and wished them a successful service.<\/p>\n

\"6996801.jpg\"<\/figure>\n

Among others, Mr. Dendias <\/b>expressed his gratitude \u201cto the female volunteers who came and enlisted in the Greek Army<\/b>,\u201d because, as he said, \u201cthey set a shining example for Greek women<\/b>, and for Hellenism in general.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he added: \u201cAn example of service to the Armed Forces<\/b>, service to the security of Greek citizens, service to society, service to the homeland, service to the Nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"6996802.jpg\"<\/figure>\n

\u201cWe will draw useful conclusions from this first example. We will study them carefully so that we can expand this capability. Because numbers are what determine the need. As you know, Greece\u2014and historically, Hellenism\u2014has been based on the citizen army, alongside our brilliant professional officers, who form the core and backbone of the Armed Forces, there is also the Greek citizen, every Greek man and, in the future, every Greek woman, so that they may provide the Nation and Greek society with the great good of security that will allow us to continue<\/b> our journey toward the future, toward development, toward the prosperity of every Greek woman and every Greek man,\u201d the minister clarified.<\/p>\n

\"6996796.jpg\"<\/figure>\n

Regarding the Lamia Education Center, he noted that \u201cit has another unique feature\u201d<\/b>, because \u201cit is the first renovated center.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he explained, in Lamia \u201cthe model has been implemented, which by the end of the year will be replicated<\/b> in all Recruit Training Centers across our country, so that the facilities can fulfill the great purpose they serve: the training of Greek citizens”.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be achieved largely through donations\u2014funds that Greek citizens, recognizing their great duty to their homeland, have contributed to this collective effort of ours: By 2030, we will have the strongest Armed Forces<\/b> that Hellenism has ever had in history,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the volunteers, Mr. Dendias<\/b>, among other things, warmly thanked them for their choice, emphasizing that \u201cit is extremely important to us\u201d<\/b>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe presence of female volunteers in the Greek Army has been legislated for 50 years. This is the first time it\u2019s happening because there were difficulties<\/b>, understandable difficulties. We are trying to overcome these difficulties, and you are giving us the opportunity to do so. So, thank you for your choice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second thing I want to ask for is honesty on your part toward the officers and your officers. We need to understand what isn\u2019t being done right, what needs to change. I don\u2019t want us to misunderstand each other. This is the Army; it\u2019s not a vacation, and it\u2019s not a hotel<\/b>. But it is a citizen\u2019s Army. Which means we want every single one of you to feel that you are contributing to your country and to society,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey used to call it \u2018military service\u2014a chore.\u2019 We want to make it \u2018military service\u2014an opportunity\u2019<\/b>. That is, for someone to contribute to their homeland, to contribute to society, but also to contribute to themselves, by learning new things and gaining new skills,\u201d he clarified.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have the most difficult task of all: to start a process. Here, the unit has a motto: \u2018The beginning is half the battle.\u2019 The beginning is half of everything. It\u2019s always like that. If we make a start, the rest comes more easily<\/b>. \u201cSo, you will help us, you will help your country, your family, society\u2014not just us\u2014so that we can achieve this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would like, over time, to have you close to the Armed Forces, not just for a short period of a few months, but forever, in various capacities. Because your presence here shows that you, too, feel something for the national emblem<\/b> you wear, for the uniform you wear,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n

Also present at the visit were the Inspector General of the Army, Lieutenant General Stavros Papastathopoulos, the Director of Military Education, Major General Anastasios Dimoulas, the Commander of the Lamia Recruit Training Center, Colonel of the Quartermaster Corps Christos Athanatos, as well as the Commander of the Recruit Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Konstantina Klonari.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A visit to the Military Equipment Training Center in Lamia, where the first female army volunteers were introduced last week, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10222,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}