Greece’s Defense Minister, Nikos Dendias, announced a comprehensive new welfare package for Armed Forces personnel during an event marking the country’s Armed Forces Day. The initiative, described as support for the “military family,” introduces a wide range of measures designed to improve living conditions, income stability, healthcare access and social support for serving members, their families and retired personnel.
At the center of the package is a new salary structure that separates rank from pay progression and introduces increases ranging from 13% to 53%, applied retroactively from 1 October. According to the ministry, these pay rises are made possible largely through savings from reorganizing military structures and closing non-essential facilities.
Housing support forms another key pillar. Personnel assigned to locations not of their choosing will be provided free accommodation under a large-scale program that includes construction of more than 10,000 new homes and upgrades to over 7,000 existing units. The first completed residences are expected to be delivered by the end of 2026.
Everyday cost-of-living pressures are also addressed through the modernization of military retail outlets, which aim to offer essential goods at prices up to 20–23% lower than the broader market. Centralized procurement and updated logistics systems will support this effort.
Additional measures target childcare and maternity support, including the creation of new nurseries, renovations of existing facilities and the establishment of new maternity clinics in military hospitals. The ministry is also expanding access to assisted reproduction services and egg-freezing for women in voluntary service.
Healthcare improvements include major upgrades to military hospitals, new logistics software in partnership with the Niarchos Foundation and full exemption from copayments for services received in public healthcare facilities. A new center focused on training and treatment of combat-related trauma is also planned.
Support extends to elderly veterans and people with disabilities through the creation of assisted-living housing complexes and upgraded care units designed to offer safe and dignified living conditions.
A series of service-related benefits will further aid families facing serious social challenges, including special parental leave, reduced working hours, limitations on overnight duties and provisions for spouses to be stationed together whenever possible.
Dendias described the package as part of the broader “Agenda 2030,” framing it as essential to maintaining operational readiness by ensuring that the people who serve—and their families—receive tangible support. He emphasized that strong defense capability requires not only modern equipment but also a resilient, well-supported military community.
