AHI Foundation Students Experience Greece’s Valuable Security Contributions at Souda Bay
U.S. NATO personnel brief participants on functions of NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre at Souda Bay.
No. 78
WASHINGTON, DC— The American Hellenic Institute Foundation (AHIF) College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus completed its 16th year as 11 students from across the United States participated in the 18-day program held June 11 to 29, 2024. Following three days of briefings in Washington, D.C., and a five-day visit to Cyprus, the student trip visited Athens, June 20 to 29. During the group’s stay in Athens, it took a day trip to Souda Bay, Crete, on June 21.
“Greece is a dependable and vital United States ally and NATO partner as well as a frontline state against terrorism,” President Nick Larigakis said. “Our itinerary aimed to educate our next generation of leaders about Greece’s geostrategic importance thanks, in part, to Souda Naval Base, which contributes significantly to security interests in the region. The students learned how the military installations there provide critical operational support to U.S., allied, and coalition forces deployed within the areas of responsibility for the European Command, Central Command, and African Command.”
The group took a flight to Chania, Crete and arrived at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Center (NMIOTC) for a briefing provided by Commodore Efstathio Kyriakidi, H.N. The students learned about NMIOTC’s purpose and capabilities. Opened in 2008, NMIOTIC provides training for allies and partners of NATO, enabling them to better execute maritime interdiction operations. Greece also lends its maritime expertise which includes extensive experience with commercial shipping and port security. The students also experienced a tour of the NMIOTC facilities and the Bay of Souda via speedboats.
Following the visit to NMIOTC, the students arrived at Souda Naval Base. Commodore Vasilios Tsouka, H.N., greeted the group and delivered welcome remarks. Following his remarks, they visited the NATO Missile Firing Installation’s (NAMFI) Officer Club, “Asteria,” where the students enjoyed lunch hosted by the unit commanders. They also received a briefing presented by Deputy Commander, Colonel Athanasio Gritzali, of the Hellenic Air Force, who serves as NAMFI commander. NAMFI is the only ground-to-air/surface missile firing range in Europe that provides missile training for NATO forces.
The day’s itinerary concluded with a visit to the 115 Combat Wing. Colonel Anthanasios Papamanolis, Deputy Commander of the 115th Combat Wing of the Hellenic Air Force, greeted the students. The students learned how the Combat Wing is utilized heavily by the United States and NATO.
While visiting Souda Bay, the students paid their respects at the Souda Bay War Cemetery.
Souda Bay has been critical to NATO operations since the creation of the U.S. Navy Support Activity Souda Bay (NSA Souda Bay) in 1990. NSA Souda Bay has supported operations of both the U.S. Air Force and Navy, as well as other multinational and American missions.
2024 Participants … In Their Own Words
Charles W. Euripides is a sophomore at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He is majoring in politics with a minor in film and visual culture.
“The American Hellenic Institute foreign policy trip was an extraordinary opportunity to meet prominent topic experts and foreign policy leaders from the United States, Cyprus, and Greece. Over the course of three short weeks, we explored the foreign policy sphere from a military, economic, and strategic perspective. Additionally, we examined first-hand the impacts of the 1974 invasion of Cyprus. As a Cypriot American with family members killed in the invasion, I felt a special calling to learn more about the invasion and steps being taken to resolve the ongoing occupation. This trip gave me a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of Greek and Cypriot issues that I can now take back to the United States and use to inform my peers.”
Evelina Kynigopoulos is a junior attending The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is majoring in international affairs.
“It was an eye opening and once in a lifetime experience that allows you to see Greece and Cyprus from a political aspect. The knowledge someone can acquire and the experience someone can obtain could potentially open new doors of future opportunities relevant to US diplomatic ties with Greece and Cyprus. Through this experience I got to truly see AHI in action, how it operates, and how it fights to spread awareness while representing US interests and the relations among Cyprus and Greece. It was an insightful and educational trip that allowed us to meet professionals in the area of foreign policy sector. This trip influenced me to want to be more involved and advocate for the things I saw with my own eyes, from the occupied area, the UN buffer zone to the transformation of an unrecognizable place and marking Cyprus with the Turkish flag and a new one that they have to represent that area.”
Giorgio Gianoulis graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and with minors in biology and chemistry. He will pursue a master’s degree in accounting from Trinity University this fall.
“The American Hellenic Institute Foundation (AHIF) Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus broadened my knowledge of US-Greece-Cyprus relations. Before coming on the trip, I had no previous foreign policy experience or political science background. I ventured into new territory because I am deeply connected to my Greek roots and wanted to learn about the illegal invasion of Cyprus that occurred in 1974. I also wanted to see an unconventional side of Greece & Cyprus, in a political and professional setting. The AHIF trip sparked an interest in me to stay involved in the US political climate with Greece and Cyprus and to advocate for my homeland and the liberation of Cyprus. I am now strongly considering a future in foreign policy.”
Penelope Grapsas is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania. She is pursuing a double major in economics and philosophy, politics, and economics with a minor in ancient history.
“As a Greek American college student, with deep roots in her Greek heritage and great aspirations of future civic service, I believe that the American Hellenic Institute’s Foreign Policy Trip helped to further my interdisciplinary education in foreign policy and diplomacy. The experience did so in a way that furthered my knowledge of critical international issues, propelling me forward in my career exploration. It also exemplified my greatly valued heritage. More importantly, the AHIF Foreign Policy program provided me with the lived experiences and tools to impact my local and international communities, and to garner awareness for critical issues that I culturally resonate with Greek, American, and Cypriot relations.”
Alexandra Lahiri is a Junior Honors Pre-Law Scholar at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She is on the pre-law track to graduate in May 2026, pursuing double degrees in international studies with a concentration in European studies, and music with a concentration in voice. She also is pursuing double minors in Latin and classical studies.
“My experience on the AHIF Student Foreign Policy Trip was unforgettable, and the lasting impact will continue to have an effect on my academic and future career plans and goals. I had the honor and privilege to represent the United States of America as a student ambassador at the Hellenic Parliament where I advocated that Greece pursue talks with the USA to implement education about Modern Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean’s history and geopolitics. One of the many takeaways that I have from going on this trip is the significant impact Greece and Cyprus have in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and thus, the world. They are, “pillars of stability in the arc of instability,” and I am grateful to have attended meetings and briefings with high-ranking officials, ambassadors, military officers, and experts regarding the international relations between countries including the U.S., Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Ukraine, and Israel.”
Drew Lambert is a sophomore at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. He is majoring in science, technology, and international affairs with a minor in modern Greek.
“Throughout the American Hellenic Institute’s trip, not only did I get to engage deeper with Greek and Cypriots issues, I also, genuinely, learned something new every day, and, amazingly, this deluge of information has only left me with a thirst for more knowledge. For instance, I learned how: Greek shipping makes up 20% of global trade, and additionally makes up 60% of European trade; and the grey zones theory and the importance of καστελλόριζο; Throughout the trip, I should have been exhausted. And yet, I wasn’t. I was in the zone, learning in an intellectually stimulating environment while doing something meaningful. In other words, I was having fun, in an endless string of meetings. It wasn’t only due to the amazing people who were my colleagues for a month, or the distinct perspectives of people we were speaking with, it was, ultimately, that these issues are so incredibly fascinating and engaging to me.”
Ernest Owen will graduate from George Mason University in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in art and visual technology and with double minors in illustration and arts management. He is an Eagle Scout.
“This happened. Eleven students from across the United States joined this year’s Foreign Policy Trip, from Washington, to Cyprus and Athens. This happened. We listened as our politicians didn’t say anything that could even potentially allude to what Turkey had done being criminal. This happened. We crossed the occupied zone and saw the desecrated churches and the towering mosques, Turkey’s attempts to make their illegal occupation seem legitimate. This happened. We heard those who experienced this tell us their story of being unable to return to their homes to this day. This happened. We saw the abandoned airport, which has remained frozen in time for the last half a century, and the massive desolate buildings next to the new beach resorts that shouldn’t be there. This happened. All of this really happened. And I would like to make sure that the rest of the world never forgets that this happened.”
Anastasia Petridis is a Dean’s List student at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. A junior from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Anastasia is pursuing a degree in journalism with a minor in pre-law. After graduation, she hopes to attend law school and aims to build a career in journalism or law.
“The AHI student foreign policy trip was an incredible experience that changed my life. This trip gave me the opportunity to visit places and have meetings with people I would have never been able to see otherwise. I could have never imagined being able to travel to Cyprus and not only visit the occupied side, but also see and tour the UN buffer zone and the Nicosia International Airport. My fuel for spreading awareness and continuing to fight for the liberation of Cyprus was found on this trip. I did not originally understand the gravity of the activities and material we were going to encounter on this trip. I had vastly different expectations about the kind of student trip this would be. I was proven wrong almost instantly; I continued to encounter the most interesting, engaging, educating, and genuinely great people and places while on the three-week intensive trip. I owe my greatest thanks to AHI and my peers on this trip for igniting the passion with which I left the program.”
Sophia Pezeshkan is a junior at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, majoring in global business and minoring in modern Greek language and classics.
“There is a difference between hearing about something, learning it, and seeing it first-hand. Growing up, I spent my summers wandering around the golden and luminescent coast that comprises Limassol, Cyprus. I grew up hearing the stories of the Turkish invasion, but never truly understood its impact. In the Turkish occupied area, we witnessed shining houses adjacent to those destroyed. Orthodox churches were ravaged and converted to mosques and bars, and Greek cemeteries were in ruins. The ICMP explained that over 2,000 Cypriots went missing, 100s of Cypriot women were raped, and, since then, an estimated 300,000 Turkish settlers have illegally moved to the occupied area. Many countries, including the US, refuse to label the division as an “invasion” or “occupation”. This denunciation pulls the country away from successfully finding a solution to the Cyprus Problem. We must remember that the absence of war does not mean there is peace. Cyprus deserves reunification, and we witnessed this first-hand.”
Melina Piperis is a junior at Boston College. She is pursuing a double major in history and classical cultures with a focus on art repatriation. She serves as vice president of the BC Hellenic Society, where she chairs the Society’s annual lecture series and teaches folk dance.
“My experiences on the AHI Student Foreign Policy Study Trip transformed my identity as a Greek American and strengthened my commitment to promote Greek and Cypriot interests in the United States. I am grateful to have learned from Mr. Larigakis, the benefactors of the American Hellenic Institute, and each speaker we met throughout the trip. In Cyprus, I was most impacted by our visit to the occupied area. After witnessing life in the occupied zone, I could no longer live through ignorance, turning a blind eye to the abandonment of not only law, but humanity.
Over the course of the trip, I came to realize the power of the younger generation. We are now equipped to educate fellow students, parents, and local politicians about the realities of Greece and Cyprus. Whether I’m knocking on Pete Ricketts’ door or discussing life in the buffer zone with my brother, these experiences will continue to impact me.”
Iliana Tzafolias is a Monroe Scholar and Summa Cum Laude graduate of the College of William and Mary, where she majored in international relations with a focus in European politics. She graduated with Departmental Honors for her thesis titled, “Defining Greekness: The Effect of Ethnic Identity on Foreign Policy Opinions.”
“From the bottom of my heart, I consider myself so blessed to have been a part of this trip. It opened my eyes, it tuned in my ears, and inspired me to take up this topic of Greek-Turkish relations as I intend to pursue a PhD in International Relations in the coming years. It is time we start discussing the reputations of political actors in this region of the world to highlight Greece and Cyprus as stable and reliable allies in a neighborhood of instability and unreliability. I will forever be thankful for this experience and only hope that I can one day do my part too to contribute to the promotion of our ethnic homeland in the United States.”
The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit American public policy center and think tank that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.
For additional information, please contact us at (202) 785-8430 or pr@ahiworld.org. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at http://www.ahiworld.org.
