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Students visiting and receiving a briefing by the Commander, Colonel (AF) Christos Grigoroudis at 115 CW (Combat Wing) in Souda Bay.
WASHINGTON, DC— The American Hellenic Institute Foundation (AHIF) College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus completed its 14th year as 10 students from across the United States participated in the 17-day program held June 14 to July 1, 2022. Following three days of briefings in Washington, D.C., and a five-day visit to Cyprus, the student trip visited Athens, June 23 to July 1, 2022. During the group’s stay in Athens, it took a one-day trip to Souda Bay, Crete, on June 27, 2022.
“Greece is a dependable and vital United States ally and NATO partner as well as a frontline state against terrorism,” President Nick Larigakis said. “Our itinerary in Greece aimed to educate the community’s next generation of leaders about the Greece’s geostrategic importance, which includes NSA Souda Bay, and how Greece, via Souda Bay, contributes significantly to security interests in the region. The students learned firsthand how Souda Bay provides critical operational support to U.S., allied, and coalition forces deployed within the European Command, Central Command, and African Command’s areas of responsibility.”
The group took a flight to Chania, Crete and arrived at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) where they were greeted by Commander Lt. General Stavros Tzoumerkiotis. NAMFI is the only ground-to-air/surface missile firing range in Europe that provides missile training for NATO forces. Later in the day, the students returned to NAMFI where they enjoyed lunch at NAMFI’s Officers Club hosted by the unit commanders.
A tour of Souda Bay included a visit to NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Center (NMIOTC) and a briefing provided by Commodore Charalampos Thimis, H.N. The students learned about NMIOTC’s purpose and capabilities. Opened in 2008, NMIOTIC provides training for allies and partners of NATO, enabling them to better execute maritime interdiction operations. Greece also lends its maritime expertise which includes extensive experience with commercial shipping and port security. The students were also taken on a speedboat for a tour of the NMIOTC facilities and the Bay of Souda.
The tour also included a visit to the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center of Excellence, where Col. Michail Kanellakis, chief of Staff at IAMD COE, briefed the students; and a visit to the 115 Combat Wing. Hellenic Air Force Colonel Christos Grigoroudis, who is a base commander, greeted the students. The students learned the Combat Wing is utilized heavily by the United States and NATO. They also had the unique opportunity to watch a live F-16 airshow demonstration.
Students also had the opportunity to visit the Hellenic Naval Base at Souda Bay, where they were greeted and briefed by the base’s commander, Commodore Nektarios Lyberakis, HN. Students learned the history of Souda Bay and were briefed on recent operations supported by the base. Souda Bay has been critical to NATO operations since the creation of the U.S. Navy Support Activity Souda Bay (NSA Souda Bay) in 1990. NSA Souda Bay has supported operations of both the U.S. Air Force and Navy, as well as other multinational and American missions.
“The meetings, briefings, and tours were all unique and captivating in different ways,” participant Christopher Zrazik said. “For example…the trip to Salamis Island and Souda Bay where we got to see firsthand the tremendous strength and importance of the Hellenic military.”
About Our Participants
Melina Christodoulou is a junior and a Dean's List student at Drew University in Madison, NJ pursuing a BA in political science and a minor in communications.
Maria Fusca is a senior at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, where she is pursuing a BA in International Affairs and two minors in Sociocultural Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Communication.
Morgan Lilly is a junior and Dean’s list student at the University of Georgia where he is pursuing a double major in Political Science and International Affairs.
Zoe Logas is a rising junior in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, majoring in public policy with a concentration in defense policy and foreign policy, and minoring in history.
Brendan C. O’Connor is a junior and Dean’s List student at American University majoring in international studies with a minor in the Russian language.
Eleni Piliotis graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis in international relations. She will be starting her master’s degree for Security Policy Studies at The George Washington University.
Andreas Poulis is a junior at the American University studying international relations with a regional focus on Europe and a thematic focus on peace, global security and conflict resolution.
Natasia Mariah Raphtis is a junior at the University of Michigan, pursuing a dual degree in political science and international relations and a minor in modern Greek.
Anastasia Staurulakis is a senior at Tulane University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in accounting. She is a recipient of Tulane’s Merit Award.
Christopher Zrazik, a Dean’s List student and Presidential Academic Scholarship recipient, is a sophomore at the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University majoring in International Affairs, concentrating in Security Policy, and minoring in Public Policy.