Hellenic Military Academy

The Evelpidon Military Academy (Στρατιωτική Σχολή Ευελπίδων, lit. "Military School for Aspirant [Officers]", "SSE") is the Officer cadet school of the Greek Army and the oldest tertiary level educational institution in Greece. It was founded in 1828 in Nafplion by Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Governor of the modern Greek State.

The institution was created to provide officers for all the Arms of the Hellenic Army (Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Signals, Engineering, and Army Aviation), as well as some of the Corps (the Technical Corps, the Transport & Supply Corps, and the Ordnance Corps). By contrast, officers in the Legal Corps, the Medical Corps, the Finance Corps, and the Auditing Corps are graduates of the Corps Officers Military Academy (Στρατιωτική Σχολή Αξιωματικών Σωμάτων), with the exception of nurse officers in the Medical Corps, who are graduates of the Nurse Officer Academy (Σχολή Αξιωματικών Νοσηλευτών). The School also trains cadets on behalf of foreign allied countries.

The origin of the designation "Evelpides" (Greek: Εὐέλπιδες, Euélpides, literally: "bearers of high hopes") is from a passage by the historian Thucydides, where the Corinthians describe their adversaries, the Athenians, as "adventurous beyond their power, daring beyond their judgment, and bearers of high hopes when in danger" (History of the Peloponnesian War, Book I, 70).

History


The Hellenic Military Academy was founded in 1828 in Nafplion, the first capital of the modern Greek State. In 1834 the Academy was relocated to the island of Aegina, and in 1837, to the city of Piraeus.

From 1854 to 1857 it was housed in the Duchess of Placentia Mansion in central Athens (now the Byzantine & Christian Museum). It was then relocated to Kypseli, Athens, in facilities donated by the magnate benefactor George Averoff. In 1982 the Academy was permanently established in Vari, a southeastern suburb of Athens. To celebrate the Academy's 150th anniversary (1828-1978), stamps featuring an officer cadet and a College building were printed in 1978.

Throughout its long history, the Hellenic Army Academy has taken part in all national rallies and wars. Its presence surpassed the conventional character of a common Military School. Graduates of the Academy have been not only distinguished Army Officers, but also high level scientists, famous authors and the first civil engineers and professors of Physics and Mathematics, until the respective faculties in Greek Universities were founded.

The first Hellenic Navy and Hellenic Air Force officers of the Balkan Wars came from the Academy as well. The Academy is a Highest Education Institution (University) and is overseen by the Ministry of National Defence.

Education & training
Academic education includes military and academic courses and covers up to 50% of the curriculum. Military training includes day and night field training. Subjects such as individual training and small infantry echelon exercises are held in co-operation with Corps of the Hellenic Army and other branches of the Armed Forces. Applied military tactics is a vital part of the overall training of Cadets covering 38% of the curriculum. Physical training covers 12% of the overall training and includes track and field events and various other sports.

The Academy's mission is to train Cadets by offering education in various arts and sciences with a view to widen their general knowledge, offer them the required military training so that they are able to attend the Special Training Program of the Hellenic Army upon graduation, and to cultivate and develop military merits and attitude so that they acquire, to a high level as new Officers, the qualifications and skills necessary for becoming military leaders, with integrity of character, knowledge, and physical as well as mental endurance.

High school graduates enroll in the Academy according to their scholastic performance in the nationwide University admission tests, and following successful completion of additional physical and mental testing. Successful applicants have been scoring better than 80% in recent years, with top applicants above the 95% mark. Studies in the Academy last for four years and, on graduation, cadets are commissioned as second lieutenants of the Hellenic Army.