A new law for the rank promotion in the Greek army, introduced by minister Vangelis Meimarakis, predicts that sergeants can become officers only if they have undergraduate degrees. The law predicts new rules for rank promotion in the Greek army and will include all professional military personnel, who have joined the military school after 1987.

According to the project, the military personnel will have the right to retire after serving 35 years in the army, including the years spent in military school. This way generals will be able to retire at the age of 65, lieutenant-generals will be able to retire one year later, and majors, colonels, brigade generals, and major-generals - two years later. At the same time, lieutenants will be rank promoted after 8 years of service, captains after 14, majors after 20, and colonels after 26 years of service.

The students who have had excellent grades, at least 95 out of 100, will be able to apply for a rank of colonel or upper one.  The new bill changes the practice of Olympic champions to be directly appointed with an officer’s rank.