The Hellenic Air Force Academy has appointed its first female captain, marking an important day in its history.
Hailing from Patras, Marina Konstantinou entered the Academy in 2016, ranked second in her class, and just three years later has been named captain.
In a special inauguration ceremony attended by President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the head of the pilot officers class of 2019 handed the military flag to Ms Konstantinou, a momentous occasion.
“As a young girl I thought about becoming a doctor because my parents were doctors, but that changed in the process. I really love airplanes, so I slowly got caught up in it,” Ms Konstantinou said.
“This Academy is a combination of willingness, conscious choice, study and skills. From high school I had the idea and I could not think what else I would like to do in my life.”
With regards to the Air Force being male-dominated, the newly appointed captain made it clear that she was not intimidated by that.
“Anyone who sets a goal that they really want and are willing to make small sacrifices, they will succeed,” she said.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were a number of political leaders, representatives of the Ministry of National Defence, along with family and friends.