LIEUTENANT GENERAL IGNACIO MARTÍN VILLALAÍN APPOINTED 2ND CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF

By Order 430/01670/09, of 5th February, the ministress of Defence, Ms. Carme Chacón Piqueras, has appointed Lieutenant General Ignacio Martín Villalaín, Army General Corps, as Second Chief of the Army Staff.

General Martín Villalaín takes over from Lieutenant General Barbudo Gironza, who has held this post since 2006. General Villalaín belongs to the Infantry and was born in Burgos on 13th May 1947. In 1972 he was promoted to the employment of infantry lieutenant following the completion of his training at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza.

Among his main posts are various mountain units, outstanding of which is the 66th Mountain Light Infantry Regiment “América”, which he commanded in 2000; in 2003 he was posted to the General Military Academy in Zaragoza as its Commandant. For the last year, he has held the post of Commander of the European Union Force in Bosnia Herzegovina (EUFOR – Althea).

General Villalaín holds a Staff diploma and also, among others, those of the Mountain Troops Command course and the Warfare Course from the United States. He has been awarded numerous national and foreign medals.