Page 105 - The Wish Stream Year of 2022 CREST

Visit to the Greek Military Academy
The Sandhurst group sent a delegation to the Hellenic Military Academy between 19/12/22 - 22/12/22, in Athens, to rein- force relations between themselves and the Greek Army and to understand the mechan- ics of this Eastern NATO ally.
The Academy was built in 1982 and thus hosted several architectural differences. It is very linear and repetitive which allows the faculties to be very close together and so commuting to the far edges of the grounds is swift, far different to the Royal Military Acad- emy Sandhurst. The learning environment of the Hellenic Academy is different too. The cadets here train for a 4-year tenure with academics taking up the most part as they primarily study to obtain a degree through the Academy. The 4-year course allows for 4 intakes, one for each year, where one per- son from each year will live with others, one from each of the other years, in 4-person rooms. This created a hierarchical dynamic which saw the lower-year cadets obeying the orders of the higher-year cadets and thus produced a clear chain of command amongst the cadets. On top of this year- based rank structure, there is one within the most senior year also. The cadets, in their final term, will be ranked from first to last with the top cadets having more responsibil- ity and power over the lower-ranked cadets. They will also possess the ability to choose their regiment of choice first. So, the lower in the ranks you are, the less likely you are to be left with any spaces in the unit you want to join. This produces a heavily competitive environment within the ranks and it is clear to see that it can be a double-edged sword with the cadets performing at peak ability all the time but not necessarily wanting to perform for their fellow cadets.
Not only did the trip grant us an insight into the Academy but also into the history of Ath- ens via a tour of the Athens Acropolis. We viewed not only the grounds but the museum
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too. It was spectacular in all its glory. The acropolises, meaning citadels, were a pivotal part of ancient Greek defences and the peo- ple of Athens would flee to the Acropolis as a last-stand defensive position. Each major city has their own. The scale and beauty of the architecture was breathtaking; in all its glory nearly 3000 years later it stands mag- nanimous. One of the largest structures was the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the god Athena herself. The structure was immaculately decorated with metopes which depicted battles and events of ancient Greece.
The final day was one for the first-year cadets. The Oath-Taking Ceremony. This is an Academy old tradition where the new cadets swear their allegiance to Greece and firmly cement their place within the Academy. A parade boasting swift rifle drill and sharp movement was a pleasure to watch as this new intake of cadets committed the next 12 years of their life to the military. The day also brought around a meeting with the Hellenic Academy Commandant who was eager to understand the British approach to officer training and the life of a cadet at the Royal Military Academy. The interaction ended with a mutual agreement that future relations between ourselves must be maintained and we looked forward to competing against each other in the upcoming Sandhurst cup with the Hellenic Military Academy entering as reigning champions.
Exposure to the mechanics and functionality of the Greek Military Academy is an invalu- able experience not only for the Royal Mili- tary Academy Sandhurst but also the British Army. As war enters the horizon in Europe, it is pivotal to maintain relations with our allies in the east and understand them also. The trip has brought our two nations closer, leav- ing us more unified which only makes NATO stronger.
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