Hi all!
I thought I should turn this into a habit and send a short update of my situation while I am on leave. I am in Volos with Maya on a five day leave from the army for Easter. I actually spent Easter in the base grilling whole lambs on a spit and doing unbelievable chores to bring the base in an acceptable state for the visit of and inspection by high-ranking officers. In the end though (and after a few glasses of smuggled-in wine) I managed to crack both sides of my colonel’s red egg (a very old Orthodox Easter tradition)- no punishment inflicted due to being holy day!
If I had to choose a few phrases to characterise the past couple of months these would be: lack of sleep (average 4h a day plus any power naps I may manage to squeeze in without being caught), discipline (countless “yes sir!” a day to officers many years younger than me), standing, marching in the heat and cold, keeping watch in the middle of the night, solid friendships. Certainly being in the army is one of the weirdest experiences I have ever had. Spending your time 24/7 with the same diverse group of people under sometimes adverse conditions can be challenging but also rewarding as you learn how you react in different situations. If there is something I have missed the most is privacy and my sense of individuality - but I guess these are two things in sharp contrast with the idea of a disciplined army corps. Not to mention that I have to bite myself not to say “yes sir!” to the waitress when I am ordering a coffee during the hours I get to spend outside the base!Spending your days in an environment like this definitely results to a relative institutionalization – pretty much anything that happens in there becomes your world – not to say you own personal soap opera/ sitcom – , while it takes extra effort to stay in touch with the outside world. While the Greek economy is collapsing (or should I say “is being collapsed”; it is a long conversation, I know) I have been dealing with army small politics. Having said that, the fact that one week after we had been given it, we were asked to return the Easter allowance (which amounted to the vast sum of 4,40 euros!!) spoke volumes.
It is also true that I have landed hard on the realities of the Greek society and, more so, at its most extreme appearance. I regret to say so but the Greek army is probably the most corrupt part of the Greek pubic sector - meritocracy is more often than not sidelined and what matters is not who you are and what you can do but who you know, and this applies to the simplest soldier as well as to high ranking officers. Initially I was happy to be part of Signal Corps, as I believed that we were chosen for our degrees and experience but very soon it became obvious that many more people, with no skills or degrees whatsoever – but with the right connections – were joining our units. Now they have even told me I am too sincere and well-meaning to survive the Greek reality!
They say you have to be careful with what you wish for because it may come true; this couldn’t have been truer in my case when I wished I could go to an island for the rest of my service as I was selected to join the Greek forces in Cyprus. For a number of reasons, this was definitely against my will and although there is a law preventing forced transfers to Cyprus, especially for soldiers over the age of 25, it was definite that I had to go. I regret to say that I had to pull some strings of my own to change that, so I guess I am not only learning a lesson on how the Greek society works, I am also putting theory in praxis. As a result, in about a week I be leaving Kalamata and move up north, near the Greek-Bulgarian borders, at a Signals company within a motorized brigade. It is expected that I will serve there the rest of my time, i.e. about 7 months. From what I have heard it is not a very interesting place – mainly defined by the military bases and the presence of the army there – but it is only a 3h drive away from my home town and there may be some interesting mountains to explore in the area, provided that I will manage to sort myself out some mode of private transportation. So, my apologies, I know I promissed a flat on an island but a flat in the mountains may not be that bad after all…
I hope you are all well and keeping yourselves busy!
yours,
private Voliotis
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