The Deputy Minister of National Defense Mr. Ioannis Kefalogiannis visited today, Wednesday, October 25, 2023, accompanied by the Chief GEA Lieutenant Commander (I) Themistocles Bourolia the School of Icarus (SI) where he was received by the Commander of the School Vice Admiral (I) Konstantinos Karamesinis and addressed the students.
After the end of his speech, the Deputy Minister talked and exchanged thoughts with students of all classes of the School.
Finally, he visited the 360 Air Training Squadron (MEA) where he was received by the Commander Vice Commander (I) Dimitrios Priarisand informed him about the work, activities and program of the freshman Ikari.
In his speech at the Icaron School, the Deputy Minister of National Defense stated the following:
“Chief of the General Air Staff,
Mr. Commander,
Ladies and Gentlemen Officers,
Mr. Dean,
Dear Professors,
Dear Ikari,
It is with great joy and pride that I am again at the Icaron School.
In a historic productive School, which enjoys international recognition, having trained excellent Officers, who are the best guarantee for the security and territorial integrity of our homeland.
After all, the reputation of our Airmen is widespread internationally, a fact that honors us and makes our country famous.
“Come on, we’re bringing in a lot of carts.” A key phrase, which demonstrates in a few words why the Ikaron School achieves all its goals, gaining an enviable position among the corresponding foreign schools.
The Ikari, their leadership and their professors do not stop setting the bar higher and higher, as a result of which the School is always ahead of developments.
From all this, it can be seen that the Icaron School was and is charged with a multidimensional mission.
To create fighters in the sky and on the ground, cultivate love of country and train future leaders.
In addition, to provide multifaceted scientific knowledge so that officers are able on the one hand to take advantage of the leaps and bounds in technology, especially in the field of weapon systems, and on the other hand to draw up and implement new defense doctrines arising from current and future challenges.
Today, geopolitical correlations in the wider Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and Eastern Europe region are extremely fluid, while the lines between conventional and hybrid threats are becoming increasingly blurred.
At the same time, the emergence of new fields of operations, such as cyber warfare, space, and the conduct of influence operations by state and non-state actors increase uncertainty and heighten security dilemmas.
All of this creates requirements for strong, flexible and effective armed forces, but also for breakthroughs in operational planning.
From the above, it is immediately clear what the skills and characteristics of the Officer should be, in order to respond to modern challenges.
Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the Air Force Officer, after four demanding years of study, must have secured the conditions to develop into a successful pilot or engineer, officer, leader and scientist.
At the same time, he should also develop diplomatic skills, since he will need to practice defense diplomacy in international forums by decoding the messages of the international environment and integrating them into operational planning.
The Icaron School, the School you serve has the potential to produce Officers with the aforementioned specifications.
It is a University institution, from which, in addition to Airmen, a multitude of scientists, of various specialties, graduate.
It also has an excellent academic community, which provides Ikarus with the required scientific background, so that they can follow scientific and international developments.
It also has an excellent executive force, which trains the Icarians in battle tactics and operational matters and acquaints them with the art of leadership.
It is therefore the duty of the state, the political and military leadership of the Ministry of National Defense to support in every possible way the work of the Icaron School, as well as the other two productive Schools, in order to respond to their mission to the maximum extent possible.
Mr. Commander
With the frequent visits I make, as Deputy Minister of National Defense to the military schools, I aim to highlight the importance that the political leadership of the Ministry attaches to the training of the human resources of the Armed Forces, through the work of the Higher Military Educational Institutions.
In this context, we established, from my first visit, a fruitful collaboration, which continued intensively in the next period, in full cooperation with the General Staffs and the academic community of all Schools.
Today, from the same place, I am able to announce to you a complete set of measures that the leadership of the Ministry of National Defense is already implementing in the direction of upgrading the educational policy of the Armed Forces.
Measures that I believe will significantly upgrade the work of the productive Military Schools, making them even more attractive to educational personnel, military and civilian, and, above all, to current and future students.
First, we proceed to simplify the process of managing the Special Account of the Ministry of National Defense with the aim of completing the feasibility approval of research programs at the level of General Staffs.
At the same time, in collaboration with the General Staffs, we are proceeding until the end of the year with the revision of the ASEI Organizations with simple and clear provisions for the implementation of the research programs.
Secondly, we are proceeding with the creation of self-supporting doctoral programs from ASEIs.
It is unthinkable that the faculty members of ASEIs are supervisors of PhDs of HEIs and cannot supervise the preparation of PhDs in an autonomous way at ASEIs – something that would significantly upgrade the research work, and by extension, the prestige of the Faculties.
Thirdly, we are proceeding to simplify the time-consuming process of approval and renewal of postgraduate programs, by changing the relevant provision of Law 3187, a process which currently requires two to three years to complete.
Fourth, we are proceeding with the establishment of the possibility for the remunerated employment of the Military Teaching Staff in the self-financed research programs of ASEIs, thus giving the possibility to specialized officers to be activated in the research work of ASEIs.
Fifth, we strengthen the extroversion of ASEIs through updating the Organizations of Schools, so that it becomes easier to invite worthy scientists who will contribute to the educational work.
Sixth, we are proceeding with the inclusion of ASEIs in the electronic system of teaching books, known as EVDOXOS, with the aim of giving the students of our productive schools access to quality books and modern bibliography.
For the same reason, we are proceeding with the inclusion of ASEI in the Consortium of National Academic Libraries.
Seventh, we are working with the Ministry of Finance to satisfy two timeless and just demands.
The assimilation of the salaries of the faculty members of the ASEIs with those of the faculty members of the HEIs and the restoration of the unjustified salary difference between the Schools of the ED and those of the Security Forces.
The above initiatives of the leadership of the Ministry are imposed before and above all by the constitutionally enshrined principle of equality which morally and practically does not allow us to have two different categories of Higher Education Institutions, two categories of faculty members and two categories of students of Higher Education Institutions.
Dear Ikari,
You should be proud to attend this fine School.
A School that is for many Greeks a childhood dream.
A School whose standard of education is equal to and many times higher than that provided in other University Schools.
This is particularly evident from the performance of its graduates, during their studies in postgraduate programs at Greek and foreign Universities.
It is a fact that with your graduation new horizons open up in front of you.
During your professional career, you will be given the opportunity to upgrade your knowledge level, attending undergraduate studies in Greek university institutions, as well as postgraduate studies in Greece and in distinguished schools abroad.
You will have the opportunity to attend military schools, academies and colleges abroad, gaining knowledge, upgrading your professional level, broadening your critical capacity and forming a strategic perception.
You will serve in staff structures of International Organizations, as Staff and in Greek Embassies as Defense Attaches, participating in a decisive way in making critical decisions.
It is absolutely certain that your presence will be pivotal for the operation of the Staff Structures of the GEA and GEETHA and you will acquire, over time, the appropriate experience to make recommendations to the political leadership, which will concern vital issues for the defense of the country.
I want you to know that all the decisions made by the political leadership are based on the recommendations of the Officers, who have thoroughly studied each individual issue.
All of these should make you proud of the profession you have chosen to pursue.
The foundations for a similarly successful career are created within this School.
Focus your interest on academic education and take advantage of the knowledge and experience of your professors to upgrade your knowledge level.
Emphasize military and aviation training to establish yourself as a professional as well as a leader.
Make good use of the internet to update your knowledge in the field of defence, security and defense technology.
Engage in foreign language learning, as it is an essential tool for your professional development.
The Corps of Officers to which you will belong enjoys recognition from the whole of our society.
All of us citizens know the Air Force Officer through his professionalism, his social contribution, his actions.
In addition, the professionalism and skills of our Officers are known internationally and are a credit to our country.
Be sure that we surround you with confidence, since we consider you guarantors of the security and territorial integrity of our homeland.
Let this be the motivation to fight even harder, highlighting the virtues, abilities and high level of the Greek Officer of our Air Force.
Thank you.”
Read the original at Defence247.gr
