98th National Guard Higher Command (Greece)

The 98th National Guard Higher Command "Archipelago", is a Hellenic Army mechanized infantry division-sized command responsible for the defence of the island of Lesbos, Greece.

History

At the conclusion of World War II, the 120th National Guard Command was formed in Lesbos, 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, and again on 12 March 1978, into the 98th National Guard Higher Command, consisting of two infantry regiments, 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 mechanized infantry division. In October 2009 the 98 ADTE was given the honorific title "Archipelago" in commemoration of the World War I-era Archipelago Division.

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 Lesbos.
The division's motto is Men are the 's Towers. The phrase is attributed to Greek lyric poet Alcaeus of Mytilene, a native of Lesbos, and is taken from his political songs, or Stasiotika.

Structure

98th National Guard Higher Command, based at Lesbos

* HQ Company
* 398th National Guard Armored Battalion
* 2nd National Guard Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
* 221st National Guard Mechanized Battalion
* 263rd National Guard Mechanized Battalion
* 264th National Guard Mechanized Battalion
* 265th National Guard Mechanized Battalion
* 296th National Guard Mechanized Battalion
* 98th National Guard Artillery Battalion
* 98th National Guard Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion
* 475th National Guard Signal Battalion
* 98th National Guard Anti Τank Company
* 98th National Guard Supply Battalion
* 98th National Guard Support Battalion
* 98th National Guard Medical Battalion