It’s a blistering summer morning on the Athens coast. Standing with a group of elite Greek warriors, I gaze out at the shimmering Aegean Sea, ready to witness what no foreign journalist has done before—embed with the Greek army’s most formidable unit during their advanced training exercises.
The Eidiko Tmhma Aleksiptothston (ETA)—the Special Parachute Regiment—is Greece’s elite tier-one special operations unit. Founded in 1959, its mission has always been clear: deploy swiftly behind enemy lines, engage in unconventional warfare, and disrupt hostile forces. The ETA is the pride of Greece’s Special Forces, reserved for the best of the best.
In December 2021, NATO Special Operations Forces Headquarters (NSHQ) assessed the regiment in foreign internal defense, direct action, and special reconnaissance. These rigorous evaluations, simulating real-world missions, culminated in a top-tier "Combat Ready" rating, qualifying the unit for NATO deployments. Today, I am here to witness firsthand the skill and versatility that earned them this distinction.
Our first stop is a hostage rescue exercise. Accompanying me is Major Costas Papadopoulos (a pseudonym for security). We arrive at a desolate training site, and soon the quiet is shattered by the roar of engines and gunfire. Four jeeps skid to a halt near a building, and six commandos leap out, their movements fluid and synchronized.
Covering fire from outside allows the team to storm the building with speed and precision. Within moments, they re-emerge with the hostage, jump back into the jeeps, and vanish as quickly as they appeared. The entire operation lasts less than three minutes.
“Speed and precision,” Major Papadopoulos explains. “That’s how missions succeed.”
The regiment demands excellence from its recruits, beginning with a grueling three-week selection process where only 15% of candidates survive. Those who pass face an eight-month training regimen designed to test every limit—physical, mental, and psychological. Successful candidates earn the coveted ETA insignia: a winged sword accompanied by the motto Who Dares Wins, borrowed from the British SAS.
As a Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) unit, ETA specializes in deep-cover operations behind enemy lines. Operators are trained in HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) and HAHO (High Altitude, High Opening) parachuting techniques, ensuring they can infiltrate hostile territories undetected. Their expertise extends to amphibious warfare as well. I witnessed them executing stealth landings, skimming across waves in formation on rapid assault boats.
Later, during Close Quarter Combat (CQC) training in a mock urban environment, their precision and discipline were on full display. Clearing rooms with practiced efficiency, every movement was calculated. “We train as we fight,” one operator told me, sweat glistening on his face. “In real-world missions, there’s no margin for error.”
ETA’s reach extends far beyond Greece. In recent years, they’ve deployed to conflict zones such as Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, and Lebanon, often conducting non-combatant evacuation operations (NEOs) to extract civilians from volatile environments. Yet their primary focus remains protecting Greece’s borders—a mission made increasingly critical by ongoing regional tensions.
Despite their impressive capabilities, the ETA operates under a code of quiet professionalism. “We don’t do this for glory,” Major Papadopoulos told me as I prepared to leave. “We do it because it needs to be done—and we are the best at doing it.”
These insights and more are explored weekly on 90 Seconds to Midnight, the Daily Mail’s global news podcast, where we examine the world’s flashpoints and the individuals who operate at their heart.
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