Hellenic Army 32nd Marines Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 32nd Marines Brigade , 32 TAX PN - 32 Taxiarhia Pezonavton "Moravas", is the Marines unit of Greece
. They are based at the port town of Volos
in Thessaly, and are intended for amphibious operations among the numerous small islands off the Greek coast. Unlike other countries, the Greek Marines form part of the Army
, while the landing craft and naval equipment are provided by the Hellenic Navy
.
in 1919, then belonging to the VIII Infantry Division
. It took part in the Greco-Turkish War
and later in the Greco-Italian War
during the Second World War. After the occupation of Greece by the Germans, it was disbanded. In 1959 the Regiment was raised anew as the 132nd Light Infantry Regiment and moved to Attica
as a reserve unit, but in 1967 was reorganized as a Marines unit under the name 32nd Marines Regiment.
In January 1988, after the disbandment of the unified III Special Forces Division, the unit was enlarged to brigade size. It is currently placed under the II Army Corps
as part of the Greek Rapid Reaction Force.
The 32nd Marines Brigade was established in 1988 after the reorganization of the Special Forces
Command.
The unit insignia depicts the Argo
, the ship of Jason
and the Argonauts
, and is representative of the first recorded Greek marine expedition. Brigade HQ is based at Volos
, near the ancient Thessalian
port city of Iolcos
, from where the Argonauts embarked on their mission to retrieve the Golden Fleece
. The unit flash is emblazoned with ΔΥΝΑΜΕΙΣ ΠΕΖΟΝΑΥΤΩΝ (Marine Forces).
The unit motto is Courage Is Necessary ( - Tharsein Hri), attributed to the Goddess Athena, through the mouth of Odysseus, as words of encouragement to the Greek forces besieging the city of Troy.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. They are based at the port town of Volos
Volos
Volos is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about 326 km north of Athens and 215 km south of Thessaloniki...
in Thessaly, and are intended for amphibious operations among the numerous small islands off the Greek coast. Unlike other countries, the Greek Marines form part of the Army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
, while the landing craft and naval equipment are provided by the Hellenic Navy
Hellenic Navy
The Hellenic Navy is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence...
.
History
The unit traces its ancestry to the 32nd Infantry Regiment, formed in PrevezaPreveza
Preveza is a town in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus. An immersed tunnel, completed in 2002 which runs between Preveza and Actium, connects the town...
in 1919, then belonging to the VIII Infantry Division
Hellenic Army VIII Infantry Division
The 8th Infantry Division is one of the most historic units of the Hellenic Army. It is based at Ioannina, and has traditionally garrisoned the area of Epirus...
. It took part in the Greco-Turkish War
Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
The Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, known as the Western Front of the Turkish War of Independence in Turkey and the Asia Minor Campaign or the Asia Minor Catastrophe in Greece, was a series of military events occurring during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire after World War I between May...
and later in the Greco-Italian War
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
during the Second World War. After the occupation of Greece by the Germans, it was disbanded. In 1959 the Regiment was raised anew as the 132nd Light Infantry Regiment and moved to Attica
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
as a reserve unit, but in 1967 was reorganized as a Marines unit under the name 32nd Marines Regiment.
In January 1988, after the disbandment of the unified III Special Forces Division, the unit was enlarged to brigade size. It is currently placed under the II Army Corps
Hellenic Army II Army Corps
-Structure:* II Army Corps , based at Veroia, Macedonia which includes**Corps Field and Air Defense Artillery Command and units **Corps Engineer Command and units **489th Signal Battalion...
as part of the Greek Rapid Reaction Force.
The 32nd Marines Brigade was established in 1988 after the reorganization of the Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
Command.
Uniform and Unit Insignia
All Marines wear the standard-issue Greek Lizard camouflage BDUs of the Hellenic Army. Members of the 32nd Marines Brigade originally wore the blue beret, but this was changed to the green beret in 2001 because blue beret was issued to regular infantry units.The unit insignia depicts the Argo
Argo
In Greek mythology, the Argo was the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to retrieve the Golden Fleece. It was named after its builder, Argus.-Legend:...
, the ship of Jason
Jason
Jason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
and the Argonauts
Argonauts
The Argonauts ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, the Argo, which was named after its builder, Argus. "Argonauts", therefore, literally means...
, and is representative of the first recorded Greek marine expedition. Brigade HQ is based at Volos
Volos
Volos is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about 326 km north of Athens and 215 km south of Thessaloniki...
, near the ancient Thessalian
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
port city of Iolcos
Iolcos
Iolcos is an ancient city, a modern village and a former municipality in Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Volos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located in central Magnesia, north of the Pagasitic Gulf. Its land area is only...
, from where the Argonauts embarked on their mission to retrieve the Golden Fleece
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
. The unit flash is emblazoned with ΔΥΝΑΜΕΙΣ ΠΕΖΟΝΑΥΤΩΝ (Marine Forces).
The unit motto is Courage Is Necessary ( - Tharsein Hri), attributed to the Goddess Athena, through the mouth of Odysseus, as words of encouragement to the Greek forces besieging the city of Troy.
Structure
32nd Marines Brigade "Moravas" in Volos, Thessaly.- HQ Company (ΛΣ/32ης ΤAΞ ΠΝ)
- 505th Marines Battalion (505ο ΤΠN)
- Command company, three Marine companies, Support company
- 521st Marines Battalion (521ο ΤΠN)
- Command company, three Marine companies, Support company
- 575th Marines Battalion (575ο ΤΠN)
- Command company, three Marine companies, Support company
- 32nd Armoured Squadron (32η ΙΜΑ)
- Four tank platoons, with a total of 17 Leopard 1A5 tanks
- 32nd Field Artillery Battalion (32η ΜΠΠ)
- Command battery and three fire batteries, with a total of 18 M101A1 towed howitzers
- 32nd Engineer Company (32ος ΛΜΧ)
- 32nd Light Air Defence Battery (32η ΠΕΑ/ΑΠ)
- 32nd Signal Company (32ος ΛΔΒ)
- 32nd Support Battalion (32ο TYΠ)