Background
Born in 1967 and brought up in Thessaloniki, Greece; he graduated from the Greek Military Academy in 1989 and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Infantry.
After having completed the infantry training and courses, MGEN KALAMPOKAS was assigned to various commanding and staff posts in different Units and HQs around Greece and abroad. While junior officer he served as commander of infantry COY, antitank COY and infantry Battalion. He had also a three years tour as COY Commander and Trainer in the Service Support Officers’ Military Academy.
His staff assignments include S1, S2, S3 in Brigade HQs and International Affairs Staff Officer at Corps HQ. He also served at the Greek EU Battle Group FHQ as ACOS CJ5 during a stand-by period. His NATO experience started as Major in AFSOUTH Naples in J2/Plans and Policy in the post of Exercises’ Staff Officer and continued with his first assignment in HQ NDC-GR in G5 as Assessment Staff Officer during the preparation of the HQ for the NRF 2012 LCC stand-by. Later being a Lieutenant Colonel he served in HQ NRDC-ESP as Lessons Learned and Evaluation Section Chief in G7 during the preparation for the 2014 Joint HQ stand-by.
When back from Valencia Spain in 2015 being already Colonel, he started a second tour in HQ NRDC-GR and was assigned the duties of G7 Coordinator for two years; then in 2017 he took over as the Director of Staff and completed 3 years in this post.
In March 2020 he promoted to Brigadier General and was assigned the duties of the DCOS SUPPORT of the HQ. After that, in March 2021 he assumed the duties of the Commander of the 34th Mechanized Infantry Brigade. In March 2022 he returned back to NRDC-GR and reassumed the duties of DCOS SUPPORT.
Next year in March 2023 he promoted to MAJOR GENERAL and took over the duties of the COS NRDC-GR.
His military education includes Infantry basic and advanced courses, the Staff Officers Course, the War College and the National Defense Course. Moreover he has attended numerous NATO courses with the most important being the Operations Planning Course and the Senior Officers’ Policy Course.
He holds a Master Degree in Applied Strategy and Security from the University of Plymouth UK. He speaks English, Spanish and Italian and has basic knowledge of French.
He is married to Christina Samantzidou and they have a married daughter, Anastasia, who works as a clinical Psychologist in Athens.
MGEN KALAMPOKAS enjoys hiking; he is also a regular runner in medium distance races and active member of a traditional and folklore Greek dances club.
