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Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff

Lieutenant General Vasilios Klokozas

Lieutenant General Vasileios Klokozas is the Chief of the Hellenic Air Force, Hellenic Air Force General Staff, Athens, Greece. He is responsible for command and control, oversight, planning and coordination of all tasks pertaining to our nation’s Airspace Defense. He has assumed his current position on August 6th, 2009.

Lieutenant General Klokozas was born in Amfissa Fokidos (Central Greece) in 1955 and entered the Hellenic Air Force Academy in 1973.
He graduated as a Second Lieutenant four years later. His very first assignment was in the117 Combat Wing, in Andravida, as an F-4E Pilot.

Throughout his career, he has served the country taking on commanding duties on Squadron and Combat Wing level (338 Fighter Bomber Squadron/117CW, F-4E Operational Conversion Unit/117CW, Commander of the Air Tactics Centre). In 1989, he assumed a position in ENJJPT (EURO NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training) at Sheppard (AFB, TX) as an instructor in T-37B Aircraft and as the Senior National Representative of the HAF detachment on base.

Lieutenant General Klokozas has also assumed administrative duties such as Director of A’ Branch/ Hellenic Tactical Air Force Headquarters and Director of G2 Branch/Hellenic Air Force General Staff before being appointed as the Chief of Tactical Air Force and Commander of CAOC-7 (Larissa).

He has attended and graduated from the Squadron Officers School (USA), the HAF War College, the HAF Weapons Tactics School, the HAF Electronic Warfare School and the NATO Electronic Warfare Advanced Course (Germany). He is fluent in English.

He is married to Mrs. Despoina Klokoza and is a father of two, Chrysoula and Konstantinos.

Military Training Education

  • 1979, Hellenic Air Force Electronic Warfare School/117Combat Wing (Andravida)
  • 1984, HAF Weapons and Tactics School (Andravida)
  • 1986, HAF War School
  • 1987, NATO Electronic Warfare Advanced Course (Germany)
  • 1988, USAF Squadron Officers School (USA)
  • 1989, Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT), Instructors’ Course (Sheppard, USA, AFB, TX)
  • 1997, HAF War College

Assignments

  1. July 1977 – August 1987, F-4E Pilot in 338 Fighter Bomber Squadron / 117 Combat Wing.
  2. August 1987 – October 1987, Commander of 338 Fighter Bomber Squadron / 117 Combat Wing.
  3. May 1989 – January 1992, Instructor in T-37 and Senior National Representative / Sheppard, USA, AFB, TX.
  4. August 1992 – August 1994, Commander of the Training Flight / 117 Combat Wing.
  5. August 1994 – July 1999, Staff Officer in the Hellenic Tactical Air Force Headquarters / B1 Directorate (Training).
  6. July 1999 – December 2002, Staff Officer in the Hellenic Tactical Air Force Headquarters / A1 Directorate (Operations-Plans-National Exercises).
  7. January 2003 – June 2003, Staff Officer in the Hellenic Tactical Air Force Headquarters / B3 Directorate (Human Resources Evaluation-Standardization).
  8. July 2003 – May 2005, Commander of the Air Tactics Centre (Andravida).
  9. May 2005 – March 2006, Director of in the Hellenic Tactical Air Force Headquarters / A1 Directorate (Operations-Plans-National Exercises).
  10. March 2006 – May 2006, Director of in the Hellenic Tactical Air Force Headquarters / A Branch (Operations-Security-Alliance Affairs).
  11. May 2006 – March 2007, Director of Hellenic Air Force General Staff / G2 Directorate (Supervision & Realization of Arm Procurement Programmes).
  12. March 2007 – February 2008, Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Tactical Air Force Headquarters.
  13. February 2008 – August 2009, Chief of the Hellenic Tactical Air Force Headquarters and  Commander of CAOC-7.
  14. August 2009, Chief of Staff of the HAF.

Flight Information

Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: 5,700

Aircraft Flown: T-41D, T-37B/C, T-33, F-4E, F-4PI2000,RF-4E, F-16, TA-7H/E.

Major Awards and Decorations

He has successfully received all major awards and decorations responding to his rank.

Effective Dates of Promotion

  • Second Lieutenant: 27 June, 1977
  • First Lieutenant: 30 June, 1980
  • Captain: 1 July, 1983
  • Major: 13 August, 1988
  • Lieutenant Colonel: 31 August, 1992
  • Colonel: 30 January, 1997
  • Brigadier General: 9 March, 2005
  • Major General: 5 March, 2007
  • Lieutenant General: 3 March, 2009