Army, Defense minister say senior commander not resigning

The Commander of the Hellenic Army Air Force, Giorgos Koumendakis, has not submitted his resignation and remains in his current position, the General Army Command (GES) and Greece’s Defense Minister said in separate statements on Monday evening.

Greek media reported earlier in the day that Koumendakis resigned over the insufficient availability of Chinook helicopters in the fire fighting efforts around the country.

“The Armed Forces have been, are and will be at the forefront in every national challenge, thanks to the tireless efforts of the personnel, which ensures the highest operational adequacy of its means,” said Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos.

“We therefore call on everyone in these crucial times to be careful and not to refer to resignations that do not apply,” he added.

According to information, the rifts in the leadership of the Army Air Force formed last week were healed after Panagiotopoulos’ intervention who spoke with General Konstantinos Floros, Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA).