General Konstantinos Floros.
Something seems to have changed in the Armed Forces, and it begins with General Konstantinos Floros.
They may have never stopped training, exercising and remaining combat ready, but from February onwards, faced with a host of challenges, they not only coped, but also made the most of themselves.
The 4… wounds
First was the "battle of Evros".
From February 28 and for a month, the Armed Forces, in collaboration with Greek police and the Coast Guard, fought on land and at sea and finally managed to prevent about 50,000 illegal immigrants, instigated by the Turkish authorities, from crossing the border and entering Greek territory.
The titanic task of border protection is continued by the Army in Evros and the Navy in the Aegean, with the synergy, of course, of the Security Forces.
This was followed by the COVID-19 health crisis, the anxiety to keep the virus at all costs away from Military Schools, camps, warships and airports, to ensure the combat readiness of the military during the pandemic.
The general staff not only showed the required discipline in the measures, reducing the number of cases to a minimum, but also contributed decisively to the state operation and the needs of society.
The military factories have manufactured and continue to manufacture large quantities of surgical masks and antiseptic solution for both the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Health, while military health facilities and personnel have been made available to the health authorities and to the public.
Next stop, the long and continuing challenge from the Turkish Oruç Reis research vessel.
At the mass exodus of Turkish warships into the Aegean, the Armed Forces responded with a general mobilization.
The summer leave of the personnel was revoked and everyone in the three Branches of the military were on the ramparts, with the Navy lifting the main weight, ruthlessly chasing the Turks in all dimensions of the naval element.
Our frigates responded in practice, with all the art of Greek navigation to the Turkish navies, while our submarine hunters remained invisible throughout the crisis, in stark contrast to the Turkish submarines detected by the Greek submarines, destroying the morale of the crews.
And as if the challenges of the "always friendly" neighbors were not enough, earthquakes and natural disasters came...
In the fire and the complete destruction of the Moria camp, the Armed Forces gave an immediate solution, setting up in incredibly short time a whole camp in Kara-Tepe from scratch.
When Cyclone Ianos hit Karditsa and Kephalonia badly, the Armed Forces were again on the side of the victims, helping to free the wounded, providing first aid, repairing damage, but also preparing food for those in need.
The same goes for the recent earthquake in Samos, where Army personnel were called in to set up tents, distribute food and breakfast to earthquake victims, and restore the damaged road network.
"Vertical management structure"
It is true that under the command of General Floros, everything seems to work around the clock.
The vertical management structure works flawlessly, the cooperation between the Chiefs of Staff and the political leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is excellent, while the business plans are updated with speed, simplicity and clarity so that there is not the slightest ambiguity or dark spot.
"The good is the enemy of the best" is said to have been repeated in the meetings of the last months by the Chief of General Staff, proposing the "constant vigilance in the Armed Forces, since the successive crises seem to have awakened instincts and consciences".
In addition to the Interdisciplinary Special Warfare Command, which is the pursuit of the Chief of General Staff from the first moment he took office, as he is expected to multiply the speed, flexibility and power of the Special Operations Forces, comes new blood and new weapons systems.
In this context, following the coordinated actions of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff, the military personnel will be directly reinforced with the recruitment of 1,600 new Professional soldiers.
The " Task Force " of the Greek military command
At the same time, the armament mechanism seems to have woken up for good, after a prolonged lethargy of almost a decade. According to sources used by Enikos, the Greek military will be receiving 18 Rafale fighters, 4 new multi-role frigates, upgrade of 4 MEKO frigates, enrichment of arsenal of all three Branches and revitalization of the defense industry.
The new doctrine
The new doctrine of the Armed Forces, which now governs their operation, is:
"In the face of the fully militarized, aggressive and dangerously revising foreign policy pursued by Turkey lately, Greece is responding with a strong Armed Forces, responding with a military leadership that can inspire military personnel, responds by acquiring new state-of-the-art weapons, and most importantly, with fresh, specialized human resources that will be added alongside the experienced executives, in order to provide Greek society with the highest good of national security." , which is and the cornerstone for the continuation of our existence as a Nation and
"So the best is yet to come and we will be here to watch. Because our time is limited and developments will not wait for us. GEETHA knows this and is literally vigilant so that "everything runs smoothly". And they will run ... for sure!", the General is said to have told his close associates, keeping in mind developments that will surely bring about radical changes.
Christos Mazanitis is a correspondent for Enikos.
