Hellenic Air Force Technical NCO Academy

Education and Training

General Information

Training is the Academy’s basic mission and it aims at providing high-level knowledge. That way, after graduation, Cadets will be able to accomplish their mission as standing officers of the Air Force.

The duration of studies at the Academy is two years and it consists of two academic years. Each academic year is divided into two semesters.

Education is divided into: Academic and Physical Education and Military Training.

As soon as students are enlisted in the Academy, the Basic Military Training Program is materialized, aiming at molding the Cadet’s character into a fit, Non-Commissioned Officer of the Air Force.  A special athletic Training program is also realized, aiming at contributing to the improvement of the physical condition and molding of the Cadets.

After completion of Basic Military Training and the oath taking of the Cadets, the three kinds of training commence, lasting as long as the studies in the Academy. Training is conducted in the morning and lasts for 8 academic hours. The duration of Academic education is six (6) hours daily. Military training takes place once (1) a week for two (2) hours and physical education is conducted twice(2) a week for two (2) academic hours. Hours of compulsory or optional study are also spared in the academy’s daily schedule. Moreover, educational visits are organized, as well as educational trips and lectures on national military and social issues. The programming and materialization of training is carried out according to the Academy’s general program, approved by the Hellenic Air Force Training Command.

Teaching Staff

The Academy’s teaching staff consists of:

• Teachers who are University graduates or graduates of Technical Institutes. Many of them are holders of post-graduate degrees (Masters and PhDs).
• Military instructors (for the specialty courses), holders of Post Graduate Degrees and graduates of the Air Force Command and Staff College.

Specialties

The Technical NCO Academy offers its students the choice of eight (8) specialties during their studies.

The specialties are defined every year according to the needs and requirements of the Service. For the division of the Cadets into specialties the following are taken into account:

• ranking order in the entrance exams
• the needs of the Service
• the desires of the Cadets
• the procedures of the Academy Regulations on Organization and Operation.

The selection of specialty is an impervious and transparent process, completed in the presence of the Cadets. It is a process according to which 15% of the Cadets who came first in the ranking order selects a specialty from the 30% of the available positions of each specialty. The rest of the cadets are divided into groups and, according to order of seniority, they choose a specialty from a proportional percentage of all specialties, after a draw.

The specialties offered by the Academy are:

• Aircraft Technician
• Transport Means & Machinery Technician
• Electrical Systems Technician
• Weapons Technician
• Airport Facilities Technician
• Telecommunications- Electronics Technician
• Flight Controller
• Supply Specialist

Duration of studies

The duration of studies at the Academy is two years. The academic year starts on October 1st every year and ends on September 30th of the next year. Each academic year is divided into two (2) semesters. Every semester includes at least sixteen (16) weeks of tuition and up to two (2) weeks for final examinations. All kinds of available training and education (academic, military, physical) are denoted by the term “academic year”.

Conduct of Education and Training

Education and Training in each academic year are realized based on the General Training Syllabus approved by the Hellenic Air Force Training Command.

The general training program includes the design of training, the general guidelines  on the implementation of training, the duration of training, the courses of each specialty with the educational hours of the course (theoretical-practical training, final examination) and other educational activities, such as lectures of general knowledge and educational visits.

The syllabus defines the educational process of the theoretical and practical training. It analyses the objectives and aims of learning, the duration of training, the reference books- means and training instructions.

Teaching Aids

Support of the training provided at the Academy is achieved through educational books, transparency projectors, slide projectors, TV sets, Home Cinema, video, PCs and other means available at the Academy.

All kinds of reference books as well as stationery are provided to the Cadets free of charge by the Academy.

The Academy makes use of reference books that are available in the market and in Technical Institutes. For those courses that are not covered by the aforementioned services, instructors are assigned to write books.

Education Supervision

Supervision of Academic education is achieved by:

• The Teaching Record Book, per academic hour, signed by the teacher or the military instructor.                 
• The Daily Attendance Record Form for the daily supervision of training realization and for the supervision of Cadets’ absences.
• Observation of procedures of the Education Department for constant control of every Cadet’s progress.

Testing - Examinations

Testing is achieved:

• By constant supervision of education and training conduct by the Director of Academic Education, the Head of the Teaching Staff Department, the Head of Standardized Assessment and the Supervisors of the Academy. The aforementioned staff officers attend classes, in order to have a full picture of the way of training conduct and the general efficiency of the teaching staff and of the cadets.
• By holding the necessary examinations conduct procedure, provided for by article 53 of the Air Force Regulation Β-21/90. 

During each semester the teacher or military instructor delivers oral marks to the Head of the Education Department.

After the end of each semester written exams are held in all marked subjects, based on the material taught during the semester.

The end of semester exams are conducted by a board of examiners, which is established under the Commander’s order and consists of:

• The Head of the Education Department as president and the following members :
• The relevant supervisor of each specialty
• The teacher or military instructor of each subject.

Marking – Order of Seniority

The final exam papers are first marked by the teacher – military instructor of the course and then by each member of the board of examiners separately. The final mark of the course is the average mark of these three marks.

Graduation – Order of Seniority

After completing the two-year training, the Education Department produces a List with the final marks and the final order of seniority, which includes the ranking order of the Cadets and their final marking regardless of their specialty. The list is counter-signed by the Commander of the Academy and is hierarchically submitted to the Ministry of Defense for ratification and naming of the Cadets who have completed training. They are named Sergeants of a specific specialty. After the order of naming is notified, the Academy prints and the Hellenic Air Force Training Command approves of their degrees, which are then awarded to the graduates.