Ministry of Defense: A permanent goal is the quality upgrade of the capabilities of the EPA

The qualitative upgrade of the capabilities of the National Guard and its reinforcement with modern means and equipment, so that it continues to be a reliable deterrent and defense force, is a permanent and unchangeable goal, stated today the Minister of Defense Charalambos Petridis.

In his greeting at the ceremony of awarding the green beret to the new commandos of the 2022 ESSO, which took place at the "Stelio Mavrommati" Camp in Stavrovouni, the Minister said that the new commandos will feel "great pride" that they will officially wear the green beret from today of the legendary commandos and congratulated them for their choice to follow "this difficult and demanding path".

He added that "today's ceremony is the culmination of a long and arduous effort during which they acquired the 'Spirit of Commandos', which is based primarily on the consistency and precision of the execution of the mission, under any conditions." The constant effort to improve the physical condition and abilities of each one is the only way, if we seek the maximum operational readiness in elite units", such as the commandos, he said.

Mr. Petridis called on the new commandos "with the same determination and with the same vigor" to continue training under the guidance of their superiors until the end of their term, while he congratulated "the Commandant of the Command Command, the Commandant of the Training Center and the instructors, who spared no effort and time, demonstrated excellent professionalism and ensured the perfect training" of the new commandos.

As the Minister said, "the history of Hellenism, but also the modern reality, teaches us that the real advantage lies not so much in numbers and sizes, but in the quality of the soulful potential and its prosperous morale. Our National Guard personnel constantly demonstrate their quality, consistency, systematicity, responsibility and professionalism."

This, he continued, "we see in the trainings that take place every day, in the large-scale exercises that we conduct with the participation of other advanced Armed Forces, in Cyprus and abroad, but also in the performance of the personnel in international competitions and in training schools".

The National Guard, he continued, "remains committed to the duty to which it was assigned, as a defender of the integrity of our homeland. The spearhead in this effort is also the commandos, who through hard and arduous training forge and steel deep within themselves the sacred code of honor and values, with which they will act as power multipliers, if required".

From our side, he noted, "a permanent and unchanging goal remains the quality upgrade of the capabilities of the National Guard and its reinforcement with modern means and equipment, so that it continues to be a reliable deterrent and defense force. In this direction, we are working quietly and methodically, on the one hand to secure technical support for the maintenance of the existing material at our disposal, and on the other hand to implement the equipment program, which has been drawn up in collaboration with GEEF".

Referring to the Commando Forces, Charalambos Petridis said that "we have gradually proceeded with the replacement and modernization of the used armament, while in the near future the supply of modern pistols and smoothbore rifles is planned. Also for the first time we signed an agreement for the broad purchase of integrated modern personal protective equipment and means of survival of the fighter, both for the commandos, but also for all the personnel of the National Guard".

He also noted that “the same protective equipment is already in use by the Armed Forces of Israel and the United Kingdom. In the first stage, the needs of the active force will be met and then the reserve and national guard."

Addressing the young commandos, the Minister said that everyone is proud of them because they chose "the path of service and duty" and proved that they are superior to others because they show courage and are determined to win whenever it is required.

Source: KYPE