The Greek Ministry of National Defense is utilizing all the capabilities of the Military Regulation within the framework of the “Agenda 2030“, as following the new armament program, attention now turns to the human resources of the Armed Forces, which are not limited to its permanent personnel, according to Article 4 of the Regulation. On the contrary, it is pointedly reminded that “the Hellenic Army consists of the Active Army, the National Guard, and the Reserve“, with Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias now setting the bar at 150,000 active reservists within a five-year horizon.

The Changes

The new “doctrine” for the Reserve was presented—deliberately—by Mr. Dendias at the Hellenic Army Academy. The existing framework is being thoroughly restructured, aiming to form “a modern, institutionally secured Reserve, through the adoption of a dynamic model focused on continuous operational training based on realism, which will offer high added value to the trainees, and practically acknowledge the contribution of reservists to the national defense of our homeland,” according to sources from the Ministry of National Defense.

Everyone who completes their military service is considered a reservist, but in practice, only a small number are retrained after discharge so that they can fulfill their duties if needed. Indicatively, only in 2024, 28,455 reservists were called for retraining, and of those, only about half—14,203—actually showed up.

Given this, the Ministry of National Defense is initiating a series of structural changes in citizen retraining, creating the institution of Active Reserve. The goal for Defense Headquarters is that with the full implementation of “Agenda 2030”, within five years, a numerically strong force of 150,000 active reservists will be created. With radically redesigned and regular training, these reservists will be able to support the currently serving conscripts and permanent personnel to adequately meet operational needs and deter any threat.

Key Changes in the Active Reserve

A fundamental change will be the voluntary nature of participation. Specifically, conscripts will be asked at discharge if they wish to participate. The initial plan foresees mandatory participation only in special cases (such as certain specialties) or when the number of necessary trainees cannot be met through voluntary enlistment.

Time & Training

At the same time, the content of reservist training will be upgraded, following the scheduled upgrade of conscript training. Best practices from countries with a strong reserve tradition (like Finland and Israel) have already been identified. Modern tools, such as simulators, will be used. In total, there will be at least one retraining cycle of 3–6 days every 3–5 years for reservists, with the possibility of up to 80 days of training until the age limit is reached.

Compensation

There is concern about the economic impact on active reservists from missing work. The Ministry of National Defense plans monetary compensation based on days absent from work for training. Meetings are planned between ministry officials and employer associations, aiming to seek financial support for the compensation of employees undergoing retraining. Additional incentives are under consideration and will be announced later.

Modernizing the Reserve also involves digitalization. Reservists will now be electronically notified and called up. The “EFEDROS” app, where discharged conscripts will register, is already connected to Gov.gr, enabling the digital dispatch of mobilization documents. There will also be the option for mass SMS notifications from Mobilization Units.

Training Centers

The initial Pentagon plan includes establishing two Reservist Retraining Centers in specific regions using existing military infrastructure. One will be in southern Greece (in the Attica region), and the other in northern Greece (near Thessaloniki), to offer quality training by specialized personnel without disrupting Unit operations.

Lastly, retraining for reservists will be adapted, like conscript training, to modern technological developments and the lessons learned from recent conflicts, with new specialties granted as needed to meet contemporary operational requirements.