From Monday 06 to Tuesday 28 February 2023, the “Air Assault School” was held at the “Colonel Georgoulas Nikolaos” Military Camp in Volos and at the “Lieutenant Perissakis Georgios” Military Camp in Stefanovikio. It included 2 training groups (February 6-16 & 18-28) and is part of the network of international collaborations of the Hellenic Armed Forces with friendly and allied countries. Such Special Warfare collaborations have been planned and are being carried out within the overall planning of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS).

According to the announcement of the HNDGS, the “Air Assault School” is usually held in the US Army Fort Campbell; however, it was held overseas for the first time.

For this reason, UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopters of the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), which has been stationed at the facilities of the 1st Army Aviation Brigade in Stephanovikio, Volos, were used in the training, with the participation of Special Forces – Special Operations Forces and Airborne Formations from Greece and the USA. Also, at the invitation of the US side, France, the Netherlands, and Hungary participated with corresponding personnel.

During the training, the participants had the opportunity to make full use of the training opportunities provided by the Stefanovikio Airport and the nearby Shooting Ranges as well as to take advantage of the special morphology of the wider area of ​​Volos along with its potential for realistic high-level training level by performing demanding scenarios of airborne operations, search and rescue operations as well as cargo transport, fast roping, first aid, and emergency procedures when using military aircraft.

Generally, the newly-established Special Warfare Command of the HNDGS and the extensive improvements of its administrative and training infrastructure make our country a pole of attraction for the Special Operations Forces of friends, partners, and allied countries.

Greece’s choice – the first country outside the USA – to conduct the said training exclusively with US instructors is another step in the ongoing deepening of the Military Cooperation between the 2 countries in the field of Special Operations.

Also read: HNDGS | Greece & Israel Joint Exercises – Photos