Greek military ranks

Template:Short description Modern Greek military ranks are based on Ancient Greek and Byzantine terminology.

In the army and air force, these names are often based on the unit or post that a holder of each rank usual commands. For example, a is in charge of a , which is derived from an Ancient Greek word translatable as "command", "order", or "class", and in modern Greek is a unit equivalent to a battalion in other armies; hence a modern is a rank equivalent to major in other armies. Similarly, a normally commands a (a word that originally meant "warband"), which in Ancient Greece was a 100-strong hoplite unit, but in modern Greek usage is equivalent to an infantry company. Hence a is the equivalent of a captain in other armies, and the modern Greek equivalent of an army first lieutenant is the modern neologism : literally, "sub-captain". Likewise, the modern Greek equivalent of a sergeant is a .

The suffixes and (or ), which are often found in Greek rank names, are derived from the roots "to lead" and "to rule", respectively.

Air Force

The Hellenic Air Force, is the youngest of the three services (founded in 1930). Its insignia are based on the British Royal Air Force, while it uses Army rank titles when translated to English.

Officer ranks

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1
Hellenic Air Force			File:Greece-AirForce-OF-9.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-8.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-7.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-6.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-5.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-4.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-3.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-2.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-1b.svg			File:Greece-AirForce-OF-1a.svg

NCO and other ranks

Template:Ranks and Insignia of NATO Air Forces/OR/Greece

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Template:Flagicon Greece (Conscripts)	No equivalentTemplate:Hr																File:GR-Air Force-Κληρωτός Σμηνίας.svg																		No insignia

Army

Officer ranks retain the style introduced in 1970, with the flaming grenade replacing (since 1975) the phoenix introduced by the Regime of the Colonels in 1973.

Officer ranks

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1
Hellenic Army			File:Army-GRE-OF-09.svg		File:Army-GRE-OF-08.svg		File:Army-GRE-OF-07.svg		File:Army-GRE-OF-06.svg		File:Army-GRE-OF-05.svg		File:Army-GRE-OF-04.svg		File:Army-GRE-OF-03.svg		File:Army-GRE-OF-02.svg		File:Army-GRE-OF-01a.svg			File:Army-GRE-OF-01b.svg

NCO and other ranks

NCO ranks (excl. OR-9 and conscript ranks) have undergone some changes through the years, the latest being in 2004.

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Hellenic Army	File:Army-GRE-OR-09a.svg						File:Army-GRE-OR-08.svg	File:Army-GRE-OR-08b.svg	File:Army-GRE-OR-07.svg	File:Army-GRE-OR-07b.svg	File:Army-GRE-OR-06a.svg			File:Army-GRE-OR-06b.svg									File:Army-GRE-OR-04a.svg		File:Army-GRE-OR-04b.svg		File:Army-GRE-OR-03a.svg								Arm/corps insignia only
	Template:Efn
Template:Flagcountry (Conscripts)	File:GR-Army-OFD.svg						No equivalentTemplate:Hr				File:Army-GRE-OR-06c.svg												File:Army-GRE-OR-04c.svg				File:GR-Army-Υποδεκανέας.svg		File:Army-GRE-ΥΕΒ.svg						No insignia
	Template:Efn

Navy

Officer ranks retain the structure introduced in 1936, whilst NCO ranks have undergone changes after 1975.

Officer ranks

Template:Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OF/Greece

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1

NCO and other ranks

Template:Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OR/Greece

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Template:Flagicon Greece (Conscripts)	File:GR-Navy-ΣΕΑ.svgFile:GR-Navy-ΣΕΑ-sleeve.svg						No equivalentTemplate:Hr				File:GR-Navy-Κελευστής.svg												File:GR-Navy-Δίοπος.svg												File:GR-Navy-Ναύτης.svg

See also

• Military of Greece
• Kingdom of Greece Army Ranks
• Royal Hellenic Navy rank insignia
• Royal Hellenic Air Force ranks

External links

• Hellenic Airforce Ranks, Hellenic Air Force website
• Διακριτικά Ελληνικού Στρατού (Hellenic Army Insignia), Hellenic Army website
• Διακριτικά Βαθμών Προσωπικού ΠΝ (Hellenic Navy Personnel Rank Insignia), Hellenic Navy website