The Cabinet approved on Thursday the recruitment of 400 contract non-commissioned officers (NCOs) from among the National Guard’s contract soldiers (Syop).

Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas said appointments will follow the ranking from a selection process that included written examinations and will take effect from November.

Those appointed can be promoted to a maximum rank of first lieutenant on salary scale A8, that being around €24,500 or €2,335 gross per month.

Palmas described the step as “the continuation of a targeted reform”, which would strengthen the prospect of professional advancement and contribute “decisively” to the operational readiness of the National Guard.

The government tabled the reform bill in the House defence committee on February 26.

It raised the maximum service age for Syops from 42 to 57 and the entry age limit from 27 to 35.

The ministry also introduced a promotion route to contract NCO through written examinations.

“It is preferable to retain experienced personnel up to 57 than to lose 1,000 to 1,500 people from the national guard,” Palmas told MPs at the time.

Salaries have moved from scale A1 to A2, that being €15,109 to €18,544 per year, (€1,260 to €1,545 per month), with a monthly allowance rising from €100 to €150 for all Syops, and from €200 to €250 for those in high-risk units such as special forces (Oyk), underwater demining teams (Myk) and medics.

Committee chairman Marinos Sizopoulos said Syops were “of crucial importance for the operational capacity and combat value of the national guard”.

On July 3, Palmas raised the number of NCO posts from the 250 first announced to 400.

He cited growing personnel needs and defence programmes under the European Union’s Safe mechanism.

The decision was agreed with the finance ministry and fell within the defence ministry’s approved budget.

The top 400 candidates by examination score became eligible to serve until the age of 57 with the rank of sergeant, with the prospect of reaching staff sergeant. Palmas told those who missed out that “there will be other opportunities in the future.”

A new application round for contract soldiers opened this week, with some 700 new vacancies available before the process closes on October 23.