Chief of the Joint Defence Staff

The Chief of the Joint Defence Staff (JEMACON) is a high-ranking military officer. The JEMACON is the closest assistant and advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff and it is appointed by the Monarch at the request of the Minister of Defence.

Chief of the Joint Defence Staff
Jefe del Estado Mayor Conjunto de la Defensa
Coat of Arms of the Defence Staff
Incumbent Lieutenant general Fernando García González-Valerio since 5 August 2020
Ministry of Defence Spanish Defence Staff
Style	The Most Excellent
Status	Highest-ranking military officer for the assistance and support to the JEMAD
Abbreviation	JEMACON
Member of	Defence Staff Joint Defence Staff
Reports to	Chief of the Defence Staff
Seat	Vitruvio Street, Madrid
Nominator	Minister of Defence After being discussed in the Council of Ministers
Appointer	Monarch Countersigned by the Minister of Defence
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	Basic Criteria of National Defence and Military Organization Act of 1984
Formation	January 11, 1984
First holder	Divisional general Miguel Iñiguez del Moral

To carry out its duties of assistance and advise, the JEMACON leads the Joint Defence Staff (EMACON), a military body integrated in the Defence Staff and formed by all the military personnel necessary to support the JEMAD in its duties.^[1]

The office of Chief of the Joint Defence Staff was created in 1984 along with the Chief of the Defence Staff position.^[2] Since 5 August 2020, the current and 18th JEMACON is Lieutenant general Fernando García González-Valerio.^[3]

Joint Defence Staff

The JEMACON leads the Joint Defence Staff, the main advisory and assistance body to the Chief of the Defence Staff. The EMACON is integrated by:^[4]

• The Office of the Chief of the Joint Defence Staff. The Office is formed by the Chief of the Joint Defence Staff and its support personnel.
• The General Secretariat of the Joint Defence Staff (SEGEMACON). The SEGEMACON is the body responsible for assisting the JEMACON in the direction of the EMACON, as well as giving technical-administrative support to all the bodies of the Defence Staff. Likewise, it is responsible for all the advisory and support duties that are not responsibility of the EMACON's divisions.
• The Plans Division (DIVPLA). The DIVPLA is responsible for elaborating and coordinating the Armed Forces planning, developing all the duties related to the obtaining of material resources to the JEMAD and to guiding the transformation of the operative capabilities of the Armed Forces. Likewise, it is responsible for elaborating and coordinating the Armed Forces action before the international organizations for security and defence.
• The Strategy Division (DIVESTRA). The DIVESTRA is responsible for elaborating and coordinating the military strategy and the use of the Armed Forces. Likewise, it is responsible for elaborating and coordinating the action of the Armed Forces before the international organizations for security and defence in which the JEMAD has the responsibilities for planning and monitoring the derived actitivites of the bilateral and multi-lateral military relations. It also assists the JEMAD in the planning and strategic direction of the military operations.

List of Chiefs

No.	Rank	Name	Start	End	Branch	Refs.
1º	Divisional General	Miguel Iñiguez del Moral	28 January 1984	11 April 1985		[5]
2º	Divisional General	José Pardo de Santayana y Coloma	11 April 1985	25 November 1986		[6]
3º	Vice admiral	Gonzalo Rodríguez Martín-Granizo	25 November 1986	29 December 1987		[7]
4º	Vice admiral	Pedro Regalado Aznar	29 December 1987	5 June 1990		[8]
5º	Divisional General	José Antonio Romero Alés	5 June 1990	3 July 1992		[9]
6º	Divisional General	Javier Pardo de Santayana y Coloma	3 July 1992	24 February 1993		[10][11]
7º	Divisional General	Santiago Valderas Cañestro	24 February 1993	15 July 1994		[12]
8º	Divisional General	Enrique Richard Marín	15 July 1994	27 December 1995		[13]
9º	Vice admiral	Antonio Moreno Barberá	27 December 1995	3 July 1997		[14]
10º	Divisional General	Juan Narro Romero	3 July 1997	24 November 1998		[15]
11º	Vice admiral	Rafael Lorenzo Montero	24 November 1998	17 February 2001		[16]
12º	Divisional General	Juan Luis Ibarreta Manella	17 February 2001	14 January 2004		[17]
13º	Divisional General	Joaquín Tamarit Navas	14 January 2004	31 July 2004		[18]
14º	Vice admiral	José María Terán Elices	31 July 2004	18 October 2008		[19]
15º	Lieutenant general	José Luis López Rose	18 October 2008	23 June 2012		[20]
16º	Divisional General	Juan Antonio Carrasco Juan	23 June 2012	24 June 2017		[21][22]
17º	Admiral	Francisco Javier González-Huix Fernández	24 June 2017	5 August 2020		[23]
18º	Lieutenant general	Fernando García González-Valerio	5 August 2020	Incumbent		[3]