The Minister of Defence Presides over the Army High Council and Visits the General Military Academy

 

The minister chats with a cadet at the General Academy (Photo:Ángel Manrique/Army Communication Department)

The minister of Defence, Mr. Pedro Morenés, this morning has presided over the meeting of the Army High Council, which has been held at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza. Attending the meeting have been the Chief of the Army Staff, Army General Fulgencio Coll, and all lieutenant generals on active service.  The Army High Council is an institutionally affiliated advisory and consultive organ to the minister of Defence and the Chief of the Army Staff.

Following the meeting, Mr. Pedro Morenés has carried out his first official visit of the General Military Academy, accompanied by the Chief of the Army Staff, the commander of the Training and Doctrine Command, Lieutenant General  Francisco Puentes, the commandant of the Academy, General Francisco J. Gan and the director of the University Defence Centre, Mr. Antonio Elipe. Together they have toured the sports installations (athletics tracks, sports centre and swimming pool) as well as having visited both the University Defence Centre headquarters and the classrooms where General Military Academy cadets receive their training.  In particular, the minister of defence has observed a Physics class that was being taught in one of the laboratories.

At the end of the visit, Mr. Pedro Morenés affirmed, ‘I have confirmed with enormous satisfaction that the future of the Spanish Army is guaranteed thanks to absolutely exemplary training, given that the cadets are acquiring the knowledge necessary from the military, academic and ethical-moral viewpoint.  This is the best training possible that is available today at this level in any civilised country. The future of the Armed Forces begins here, and here today I have seen important progress regarding insight into military training.  I am enormously satisfied as I leave.’

 University Defence Centre 

The University Defence Centre, affiliated with the University of Zaragoza, was created in October 2008, with the aim of offering courses that allow General Military Academy cadets to obtain degree qualifications in Engineering Management.  According to the present study plan, adapted to the European Space for Higher Education, cadets obtain two qualifications: that of Army officer with the employment of First Lieutenant and that of a degree in Engineering.