Fernando García Sánchez Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Fernando Garcia Sánchez
Image of CDS 2016

Chief of the Defence Staff
In office 30 December 2011 – 24 March 2017
Monarch	Felipe VI
Prime Minister	Mariano Rajoy
Preceded by	air general José Julio Rodríguez Fernández
Succeeded by	army general Fernando Alejandre Martínez

Personal details
Born	Fernando Garcia Sánchez (1953-09-25) September 25, 1953 (age 71) Granada, Spain.
Spouse	Jesús Tobío Cendón
Alma mater	Escuela Naval Militar
Military service
Allegiance	Spain
Branch/service	Spanish Navy
Years of service	1971—2017
Rank	Admiral General
Commands	NATO 44.1 Naval group Cataluña (F73) 2nd Minesweeper Squadron 41st Escort Squadron Naval Action Group 2 Chief of the Defence Staff
Battles/wars	Operation Active Endeavor
Awards	National Merit Badge Award

Fernando Garcia Sánchez (born September 25, 1953) is a retired Fleet Admiral and the Chief of Defence Staff of the Spanish Armed Forces, he took the office from December 2011 to March 24, 2017, he also chaired the Fundación Iberdrola España since 2018.

Fernando Garcia was born on September 25, 1953, in Granada, Spain. He joined the Spanish Naval Academy in 1971, after he graduated, he was commissioned to Lieutenant Junior Grade in 1976 and served in different battleships spending 2000 days in the sea. He also attended the Naval Warfare College for a diploma course.

Garcia Sánchez as a senior military officer, lectured in the Naval Warfare College and also in the Spanish Joint Staff College and was head of the Strategic Planning section of the Navy Planning division in 2003. He had also commanded the NATO 44.1 tactical operations Naval group peace missions in the Mediterranean twice, in 2000 and in 2001.

He was promoted Rear Admiral in 2005 and Vice Admiral in 2008. He became the Chief of Staff of Defence on the December 30, 2011 after he was promoted to Admiral, prior to that, he was the Chief of Staff of the Maritime Task Force, and deputy Chief of Naval Staff. Fernando Garcia speaks English and French fluently.

He is married to Jesús Tobío Cendón with 3 children.