The 98th National Guard Higher Command "Archipelago" ( el, 98 Ανώτερη Διοίκηση Ταγμάτων Εθνοφυλακής «ΑΡΧΙΠΕΛΑΓΟΥΣ», 98 ΑΔΤΕ; ''98 Anóteri Dioíkisi Tagmáton Ethnofylakís "Archipelágous"'', abbrev. ''98 ADTE''), is a

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is th ...

mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...

division-sized command responsible for the defence of the island of

Lesbos Lesbos or Lesvos ( el, Λέσβος, Lésvos ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece. It is separated from Asia Minor by the nar ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

History

At the conclusion of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the 120th National Guard Command ( el, 120 Διοίκηση Ταγμάτων Εθνοφυλακής, translit=120 Dioíkisi Tagmáton Ethnofylakís) was formed in

, overseeing the territorial National Guard battalions - predominantly reservist and militia units - based on the island. This formation evolved, on 20 April 1975, into the 98th Military Command ( el, 98 Στρατιωτική Διοίκηση, 98 ΣΔΙ, translit=98 Stratiotikí Dioíkisi, 98 SDI), and again on 12 March 1978, into the 98th National Guard Higher Command, consisting of two infantry regiments (22nd and 36th), with artillery and armored support elements. Despite its "National Guard" moniker, which honors the formation's previous territorial incarnations, the 98 ADTE evolved through the 1980s and 1990s into a

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

. In October 2009 the 98 ADTE was given the honorific title "Archipelago" in commemoration of the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

-era

Archipelago Division The Archipelago Division ( el, Μεραρχία Ἀρχιπελάγους, Merarchia Archipelagous) was an infantry division of Greece in World War I and the early stages of the Asia Minor Campaign. Establishment The division began being raised i ...

Emblem and motto

The emblem of the 98th National Guard Higher Command is a lion facing east, above a graphic depiction of the island of

. The division's motto is Men are the 's Towers ( el, ΑΝΔΡΕΣ ΓΑΡ ΠΟΛΙΟΣ ΠΥΡΓΟΣ, Άνδρες γαρ πόλιος πύργος; ''Andres Gár Pólios Pýrgos''). The phrase is attributed to

Greek lyric poet Greek lyric is the body of lyric poetry written in dialects of Ancient Greek. It is primarily associated with the early 7th to the early 5th centuries BC, sometimes called the "Lyric Age of Greece", but continued to be written into the Hellenist ...

Alcaeus of Mytilene Alcaeus of Mytilene (; grc, Ἀλκαῖος ὁ Μυτιληναῖος, ''Alkaios ho Mutilēnaios''; – BC) was a lyric poet from the Greek island of Lesbos who is credited with inventing the Alcaic stanza. He was included in the canonical ...

, a native of Lesbos, and is taken from his political songs, or ''Stasiotika'' ( el, Στασιωτικά).

Structure

* 98th National Guard Higher Command (98 ΑΔΤΕ), based at

** HQ Company (ΛΣΤ/98 ΑΔΤΕ) ** 398th National Guard Armored Battalion (398 ΕΑΡΜΕΘ) ** 2nd National Guard Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (B ΕΑNΕΘ) ** 221st National Guard Mechanized Battalion (221 M/K ΤΕ) ** 263rd National Guard Mechanized Battalion (263 M/K ΤΕ) ** 264th National Guard Mechanized Battalion (264 M/K ΤΕ) ** 265th National Guard Mechanized Battalion (265 M/K ΤΕ) ** 296th National Guard Mechanized Battalion (296 M/K ΤΕ) ** 98th National Guard Artillery Battalion (98 MΕΘ) ** 98th National Guard Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion (98 MΕAΠ) ** 475th National Guard Signal Battalion (475 ΤΔΒΕΘ) ** 98th National Guard Anti Τank Company (98 ΛΑΤΕΘ) ** 98th National Guard Supply Battalion (98 ΤΥΛΠΕΘ) ** 98th National Guard Support Battalion (98 ΤΥΠΕΘ) ** 98th National Guard Medical Battalion (98 ΤΥΓΕΘ)

References

Sources

* {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Mechanized infantry divisions of Greece Lesbos