On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias inaugurated Greece’s first Reserve Retraining Center (KEMEF) in Avlonas—marking a strategic shift in how the country trains and deploys reservists. Speaking at the ceremony held at the Avlonas Recruit Training Center, located within the ‘Lieutenant Georgios Melidis’ military camp, Dendias framed the new center as a cornerstone of the Ministry’s ‘Agenda 2030’—a broader modernization plan for the Hellenic Armed Forces.
A 21st-Century Model for Reserves
Dendias stressed that national defence in the 21st century can no longer rely on outdated frameworks. Reservists, he said, must be properly trained, operationally ready, and deployable ‘in real time.’ He described the reservist as ‘the vital link between the Armed Forces and Greek society’—a living bridge reinforcing civic-military cohesion.
The ‘Army of Citizens’ Tradition
In his address, Dendias emphasized the historical continuity of Greece’s citizen-soldier ethos. ‘It embodies the timeless ideal of the Army of Citizens,’ he noted, connecting the new retraining infrastructure to a defensive tradition stretching back millennia. He underscored that simply citing numbers is insufficient: what’s needed is a robust, modern, and operationally effective reserve force—fully integrated into national defence planning and capable of directly supporting permanent military personnel.
Training for Today’s Battlefield
The minister linked the Avlonas center to the Armed Forces’ Transition Charter—the roadmap guiding their evolution into a more agile, technologically equipped force. Under ‘Agenda 2030,’ a new model of active reserve service is taking shape, with clear standards for training, recall procedures, and operational deployment. ‘Retraining Centers are foundational to this new model,’ Dendias said, adding that reservists will now train under conditions mirroring today’s battlefield—including drone warfare, counter-drone systems, combat first aid, and emerging specialist roles. ‘Everything has changed. Nothing is as we learned it in our time,’ he remarked.
Target: 150,000 Trained and Ready Reservists
Dendias set a strategic goal of building a corps of 150,000 active reservists—each with substantive training and verified operational availability. ‘We have already shifted the paradigm,’ he stated, reaffirming that the ultimate aim remains strengthening the Armed Forces’ capacity to safeguard Greece’s independence and territorial integrity. Addressing reservists attending the inaugural retraining program, he framed the effort as a clear commitment: ‘to build…’