Naval commander keeps feet on the ground

Nasos Oikonomidis, commander of the Hellenic Navy’s Themistοklis frigate, spent 218 days at sea this year, a feat which earned him an award from National Defense General Staff (GEETHA) chief Konstantinos Floros. Speaking to Kathimerini, Oikonomidis said the medal belongs to the families of all seamen who must cope with separation. Over half (April-August) of his days at sea were consecutive, as the Elli-class frigate supported the European Union’s Irini operation in the Mediterranean, a mission designed to stop arms from reaching warring factions in Libya. “It’s a procedure that puts the entire ship on alert. Adrenaline runs high,” he said. [InTime News]