Lieutenant General Fernando Alejandre Martínez is named Chief of Staff of the Defense

On 24th March, the Council of Ministers promoted Lieutenant General Fernando Alejandre Martínez to Army General and appointed him as Chief  of Staff of the Defense, at the Government's proposal. The new CHOD, born in Madrid in 1956 and coming from the Spanish Army Corps of Engineers, has extensive operational experience in an international environment. Throughout his 38 years of service in the Armed Forces, General Alejandre has stood out for his dedication, committment and excellent results in all of the responisbilities he has assumed.

He graduated as Lieutenant of Engineers at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza in 1979. As a lieutenant, he was posted in the Parachute Engineers battalion as a captain where he led the Paratroopers. After graduating from the "Escuela de Estado Mayor del Ejército" (Army Training Cente), he returned to the Parachute Brigade for one year, before being posted in the "Escuela de Estado Mayor del Ejército" as a tactics professor.

When promoted to lieutenant colonel, he became Chief of Staff of the Engineers Command, and three years later he worked in the Land Operations Centre of the Army Operations Division. In 2003, he was posted in the Rapid Response Force Headquarters as Chief of Operations. As a colonel, he led the 12th Zaragoza Pontoneros and Specialist Engineers Regiment, before being selected to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as military adviser.

After being promoted to Brigade General in 2010, he was responsbile for the Army Operations Division command. He was posted as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in 2012. As a lieutenant general, he assumed the role of Deputy Chief of the Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum, which has been his role until now.