The Pentagon is studying a package of changes to a legislative bill that introduces a radically new structure for the Armed Forces, 80 years after the end of World War II. According to information, in the final version of the bill as it heads to plenary voting, a legislative provision is being considered to soften the retroactive impact of the new rank system for active-duty Armed Forces personnel affected by the forthcoming changes.

With the new rank system, safeguards are introduced regarding officers’ career progression. Specifically, through the provision of organic positions and a new evaluation framework for personnel, it is estimated that the pyramid will be reversed so that senior officers will no longer outnumber enlisted personnel, as is the case today. As is well known, until now 97.83% of personnel were evaluated at… 100%—that is, the maximum score.

As for the new pay scale, it is now decoupled from the rank system, providing average pay increases for Armed Forces personnel derived from savings within the Ministry of National Defense’s budget. The omnibus bill also provides for retroactive payments from October 1, 2025, for all uniformed personnel. According to ministry officials, pay increases start at 13% and reach up to 52.3% in specific cases—for example, for a senior officer with the rank of lieutenant commander who serves as a frigate commander.

In the field of military education, the Academic Education Command is being established, under which all Military Schools (ASEI, SSAS, ASMY) will fall, with the aim of horizontal coordination of academic, research, and financial matters. At the same time, the curriculum of the Military Academies (ASEI) is undergoing a complete overhaul, with new specialization tracks, five-year study cycles, and degrees with clearly defined scientific fields, while the Non-Commissioned Officers’ Schools are being upgraded to higher-education status for the first time.

A major reform is the new framework for military service, which gains new content and organization. Specifically, all conscripts will initially be assigned to the Army, with a subsequent transfer of a specific number of specialties to the Navy and the Air Force. Basic training will last 10 weeks and will include shooting simulators, drone handling, and horizontal skills (such as First Aid), followed by four weeks of specialized training and then 12 weeks of operational training in High-Readiness Units.

Furthermore, for the first time, voluntary enlistment of 200 women aged 18–26 for a period of 12 months is being introduced, starting in 2026, along with the option to be selected as reserve officer cadets and the establishment of a monthly allowance. Finally, regarding the reserves, the omnibus bill provides for raising the age limit to 60, unification with the National Guard reserve force, and the creation of a Reserve Commando Squadron in Rentina and Aspropyrgos, combined with a package of benefits and incentives.

Promotions of Non-Commissioned Officers

At the same time, following reactions, Pentagon sources emphasize that with the new omnibus bill “the path is not being cut off for non-commissioned officers” to advance in the Armed Forces hierarchy. On the contrary, there will now be “two distinct paths” and an objective process with clearly defined criteria in line with international standards, so that the suitable candidates are promoted—not everyone, as happened in the past.

Specifically, the new advancement options for NCOs include:

a) the possibility of admission to the Military Academies (ASEI) through entrance examinations into the second year of study (up to 12%, adjustable annually)

b) the possibility of commissioning NCO graduates of the NCO Schools (ASSY) who hold a university degree as officers after 14 years of service (in positions announced by the General Staffs, with a maximum rank of major).

In parallel, further provisions for upgrading the status of NCOs include:

• Upgrading of academic studies
• Specialization and linkage with duties
• Independent hierarchical progression in relation to EMTH–EPOP
• Participation in transfer councils
• Participation in command roles (aides-de-camp to Chiefs of the General Staffs and formation commanders)
• Pay increases + Command Allowance + Responsibility Allowance

Pay Increases and Personal Difference

Beyond the new career paths, the core of the omnibus bill includes average pay increases of 13%–24% for the majority of Armed Forces personnel, as well as an increase in the Responsibility Allowance and the introduction of a Command Allowance after decades of wage stagnation. Indicatively, an unmarried second lieutenant serving in a border area will see a pay increase of 31.7%, reaching €1,576 per month, while a frigate commander will now earn €2,913 per month—an increase of 52.3%—at a time when Greece is acquiring four FDI frigates, new main units for the Navy for the first time in 27 years.

However, trade unions representing active-duty military personnel have raised the issue of the “personal difference,” citing Article 85, paragraph 1 of the omnibus bill, referring to reductions that in some cases range from €13 to €32, as presented by the Panhellenic Federation of Military Unions to the competent parliamentary committee.

On the other hand, Ministry of National Defense sources stated that “the reference to Article 85 was added by the Ministry of Finance as a necessary provision in every new pay scale (as in the new pay scale for the Security Forces—Law 5246/2025), but it is obvious that it has no application to the pay scale of Armed Forces personnel, since no personal difference exists in their pay.” This was also proven, they noted, by the issuance of February payroll statements, stressing that “there are no hidden future reductions, as the new pay scale constitutes a starting point after which earnings will increase for all personnel throughout their remaining years of service.”

Criticism from Former Chiefs

Despite the clarifications from the Ministry of National Defense, reactions to the content of the new omnibus bill continue, as in a domino effect opposition now comes not only from MPs and opposition parties but also from former Chiefs of the Armed Forces. In a lengthy social media post, former Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff Konstantinos Ziazias notes, with reference to the new rank system, that “non-commissioned officers are the backbone of daily command and daily life in units. They train, supervise, evaluate, enforce discipline, maintain and operate modern weapons systems, and keep our units functional.” He adds that “the political leadership should know that the strength of the Armed Forces is not measured only in procurement programs or in personnel numbers and ranks. It is also measured in the steel cohesion of the hierarchy, the fairness of advancement, and the morale of those who serve.” What is being attempted today, he concludes, is an institutional undermining: “The Armed Forces are not an administrative service; they are the shield of the Nation. And whoever attempts to crack that shield does not merely commit a political mistake. They commit a historical crime.”

Remarks from the Ombudsman

In this climate, on the eve of Christmas, remarks by the Greek Ombudsman were added regarding the “New Transition Map of the Armed Forces to the New Era,” focusing particularly on conscription issues. Specifically, regarding deferment or exemption due to mental illness, “the Ombudsman considers incompatible with the relevant convention the en bloc submission of mentally ill individuals to significantly more time-consuming and burdensome procedures in order to obtain deferment or exemption from conscription, without providing room for individualized assessment based on the circumstances of each case.” If more frequent and longer re-examinations are to be allowed, this would be justified only following individualized assessment by the competent committee.

The Ombudsman also commented on the correction of year of birth, stating that “the clear purpose of the provision is in principle reasonable, namely the prevention of abuse of age correction in order to avoid or further delay conscription.” However, “the total prohibition of correcting the year of birth for half the country’s population for a period that may even exceed a decade is unjustified, as it disproportionately disrupts the general framework of civil registry legislation.” This refers to Article 173 of the omnibus bill, which provides that “correction of the year of birth of Greek males in civil registries is not permitted from January 1 of the year in which they reach 18 years of age until the fulfillment of their main military obligation or their lawful exemption from it, as well as for those who are draft evaders or deserters.”

Protest Rally

The bill is expected to be voted on January 8, and active-duty and retired officers are already planning to hold a protest rally outside Parliament.

For its part, the Ministry of National Defense appears to be taking into account both the thousands of comments submitted by personnel and trade union bodies during the consultation process and the named objections and posts of senior officers, referring to the statement of the competent minister, Nikos Dendias, that “there is no piece of legislation written in stone or marble.”

Photo: sooc.gr