Sr. D. Antonio de Oyarzábal

Chairman of the Board of Directors of General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Sistemas Born in Stockholm on October 12, 1935, Antonio de Oyarzábal is a law graduate from the Complutense University of Madrid and has fulfilled different positions within the Spanish Diplomacy during his broad professional career. He has been the Spanish Ambassador in Quito (Ecuador), between 1981 and 1983; in Tokyo (Japan) between 1990 and 1994; in Copenhagen (Denmark), between 1994 and 1996; and in Washington (United States), between 1996 and 2000. Prior to that he was the General Director of the Diplomacy Information Office (1979-1981) and the General Manager of International Technical Cooperation (1985-1989), among other positions. With awards from numerous foreign governments, he is presently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Sistemas and Deputy Chairman of the Instituto Elcano de Estudios Internacionales y Estratégicos (Elcano Institute of Strategic and International Studies).

Admiral D. Franciso Torrente Sánchez

Guest Speaker Admiral D. Francisco Torrente Sánchez Secretary General of Defense Policy Admiral Torrente was born in Ferrol on April 22nd, 1940. He entered in the Spanish Navy Naval Academy on August 28th, 1956 and became Lieutenant JG in 1961. During his 15-year sea tour, he served on board of destroyers, frigates and amphibious ships. He was Commanding Officer of a minesweeper, a corvette and a frigate. Among his shore assignments, he served tours Naval Academy and the Naval War College Professor. He also was Chief of the Logistics Planning in the Navy Staff and Deputy Director for Manpower Planning and Procurement at the Ministry in Defence. Admiral Torrente an Electronics Specialist attended Tartar and Standard Weapon Direction System Courses in U.S.A. He is also a graduate from the Naval War College. He is co-author of the book “La Armada: Esa Desconocida” (The Unknown Armada), which received the “Virgen del Carmen” Award in 1983. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1993, and appointed Navy’s Deputy Director for Maintenance. In 1994 Admiral Torrente was appointed Director of the Military Cabinet of the Minister of Defence. He became Vice-Admiral in 1995. In 1997, he was promoted to Admiral and appointed General Director for Defence Policy. In December 2000, he was granted the fourth star and appointed Chief of Naval Staff., and in April 2004, he was appointed General Secretary for Defence Policy and left active duty in the Navy. Among others, he has been awarded the following national decorations: four Naval Merit Crosses, one Military Merit Cross, one Aeronautical Merit Cross, the Civil Guard Silver Cross, Grand Cross of St Hermenegildo, Military Merit Grand Cross, and Naval Merit Grand Cross. Admiral Torrente is married to Alicia Cenalmor, and they have five children.

MR. JOSÉ BONO - Minister of Defense - Spain On Thursday, January 20th, 2005, we were honored to have as guest speaker Mr. José Bono Martínez, Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Spain. It was an incredibly successful event with approximately 100 guests, including NL members. Spain’s Minister of Defense was born in Salobre, province of Albacete, on December 14th 1950. A lawyer by profession, he practised law until 1979, and since 1972 he lectured in Political Law at the Complutense University in Madrid. In 1976, he received a commission from the UN to report on the Human Violations perpetrated at the time in Chile. For doing so, he was asked to leave-expelled-by General Pinochet’s government... In 1977 he was the private prosecutor in the famous trial about the murders of the labor law attorneys in the ATOCHA street in Madrid. His involvement with politics began at the end of the turbulent 60’s... In 1970, he joined the Popular Socialist Party, holding full membership until 1979, date in which his Party merged with the Spanish Workers’ Socialist Party (PSOE). From 1979- 1983 he was Member of Parliamant for the District of Albacete and served as Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee. In 1983, after the PSOE won its first regional election Mr. Bono was elected President of Castilla-La Mancha by the Regional Parliament, a position he would hold for five consecutive terms... and elected by absolute majority... From 1988-1990 he also held the position of Secretary General for the PSOE in Castilla-La Mancha. He authored a book entitled “A vueltas con el Futuro,” which deals with the role of socialism in a permanently changing society. It was at a recent conference in Madrid on the Military Relations between the US and Spain on June 21st, 2005 that the Minister adamantly expressed that he could see no vestige of anti-americanism and that the relations between Spain and the USA “are clear, hiding no secret protocol.” In fact, he stressed that “since the end of the 18th century, the citizens of the USA should know that Spain was there to defend them...” (1776) and... “that it is its oldest ally.” “The frigate Álvaro de Bazán has been integrated into the Combat Group of the aircraft carrier Roosevelt, marking the first time that a Spanish ship has fully participated in joint maneuvers with the USA and proving that its high technology in the F100 Aegis systems is compatible with that of their American counterparts!”

Admiral Sebastian Saragoza Soto On February 17th, 2005, we were equally honored to have as guest speaker Admiral General Zaragoza Soto, Naval Chief Staff. As stated in his biography, Admiral General Zaragoza Soto was born in 1945 in San Fernando, Cádiz, but spent most of his life in EL Ferrol because his father was the “Comandante of the Infantería de Marina” (Spanish Marines). In 1962 he entered the Naval Academy in Marín and in 1967, he graduated with the rank of Liutenant. A son has also followed in his footsteps having graduated from the same Academy two years ago and now serving as an “Alférez de Navío” on the Alvaro de Bazán, a F 100 frigate. His other son is an officer in the Spanish Army! In a previous interview conducted by NL Past Presidents, George Mahl and George Hall for the magazine NAUTICIAS the Admiral admitted “to having slept on every bunk bed on the training ship, the pride of the Spanish Armada, the “Juan Sebastián de Elcano.” In the course of his Naval career, Admiral Zaragoza did three tours with the ship... From 1996-1997 he was its Captain on its world tour. The Admiral also told that “every year the crew who served aboard El Cano during the 1996-1997 tour gets together for dinners and they invite me along... which is very gratifying and typifies the comradeship that prevails between Captain and crew!” When asked what he thought about the US-Spain naval relations he added “remember, this has been going on since 1953-over fifty years! We continue to do military exercises and nothing has changed... and there have been many changes in government over the years.” Amongst his many tours of duty, he spent seven years on board destroyers, and two years at the Fleet Combat High Command on board the aircraft carrier “Dédalo.” Admiral General Zaragoza served as Commander in the minesweeper “Tajo” and in the research and rescue ship “Poséidon” and in the frigate, “Baleares.” He participated in embargo operations against Yugoslavia in the Adriatic Sea. His distinguished carreer ashore began with his post as the first Spanish officer assigned to the NATO Southern Region Command in Naples for three years. He also was selected as the Head of the Plans Branch at the Spanish Defense Joint Staff, Chief of the Inner Office for General Director of Defense Policy, Chairman of the Spanish Section at the Spain-United States Permanent Committee and ACOS Plans and Policy at the Naval Headquarters Staff. In 2004 he was was promoted to Admiral and named Deputy Commander of NAVSOUTH and three months later he was given his fourth star to Admiral General and named Chief of Naval Staff. His specialty is in naval communications and has received diplomas in Naval Warfare, holds the NATO medal, the UEO medal and possesses many national and foreign awards.

Lieutenant Commander Spencer Abbot, USN At this dinner meeting on Thursday,March 17th, 2005, members and guests “almost” participated in Lt. Commander Abbot’s flying maneuvers by viewing his incredibly dangerous acrobatic feats projected on a screen.... Lieutenant Commander Spencer Abbot is a U.S. Navy FA-18 Hornet pilot, and is currently serving as an EF-18 exchange pilot with the Spanish Air Force. In that capacity, LCDR Abbot instructs Spanish pilots transitioning to the Hornet in initial EF-18 familiarization, air-to-ground, airto- air, and in-flight refueling mission areas. LCDR Abbot, son of Admiral Abbot, former CIC of the 6th Fleet, is a native of Yorktown, Virginia. His deployments included service aboard USS Enterprise and USS Theodore Roosevelt, and participation in Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. His awards include the Individual Air Medal and Navy Commendation Medals with combat “V” devices.

Mr. Jose Luis Requeno Ibañez Vocal Mr. José Luis Requero Ibañez is a member of the NL Madrid Council. He gave an extraordinary speech on Thursday, April 21st, 2005, as any member invited to do so should. The subject was “Justice and the Legal System in Spain,” very interesting and eye opening to those of us who are more familiar with the US-Common Law- system and sometimes find the Romanic and Napoleonic codes a little bit heavy and sour, as in coffee, to swallow. But as the Spanish popular saying once indicated: “A dónde fueres haz lo que vieres,” in other words, “when in Spain do as the Spaniards...” Mr. Requero summarized how the Judicial System in Spain is organized and how since 1978 with the instauration of the Constitution, it is self governed. He talked about the cooperation that exists between the General Counsel of the Judiciary in Spain and institutions in countries in South America and Eastern Europe, especially in fighting organized crime. He discussed the actual instruments used in the fight against Islamic terrorism since March 11th, 2004 as well as the case filed in this country against Al Quaida. Mr. Requero Ibañez, better known in his professional circles as “Su Señoría”- Your Honor- has a law degree from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid and began his judicial career in 1982. In 1996 he was commissioned by the European Union to conduct a study on judicial and parliamentary reform in Paraguay, within the program: “The institutional modernization of Paraguay” and he was responsible for the elaboration of the study: “Judicial Power: situation, objectives and methods,” which was ultimately submitted to Brussels. From 1977-1981 he collaborated with articles and studies.With the Central Press Agency, RECOPRESS. In 2001 he was named Vocal of the Consejo del Poder Judicial. Throughout his intensive career, he has had time to write a few books: “El Consejo General del Poder Judicial” and “Extranjeria y asilo politico: practica contenciosoadministrativa,” plus numerous studies on Administrative Law. On a personal note, Mr. Requero Ibañez is the proud father of 10 children.

Admiral Robert j. Natter (rtn) On June 23rd, 2005, thanks to NL member Mr. Jim Nelson’s (Lockheed Martin) intervention we were honored to count Admiral Robert J. Natter (ret.) as guest speaker. Admiral Natter, whom, as NL Director Mr.James Levy, vociferously proud of being American, would not stop from pointing out during the dinner, “...commanded the world’s largest navy...,” by merely being in charge of a “small” fleet of 160.000 sailors and marines, 162 ships and 1200 aircraft as well as the 18 major shore stations providing training, maintenance and logistics support to the Atlantic Fleet! ... “No mean feat;” he enlisted in the Naval Reserve as a seaman recruit at the age of 17 and after graduating from the Naval Academy rapidly rose through the military ranks!! He is a recipient of the Silver Medal, four Awards of the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V and the Purple Heart amongst others. Since his command performances are so numerous we will cite the most important: Officer in Charge of a Naval Special Warfare in Vietnam; Ship Commander and Commander of the US Seventh Fleet in Asia; First Commander of the newly established US Fleet Forces Command. (2001) He was responsible for establishing and implementing Navy-wide policies for manning, equipping and training all Atlantic and Pacific Fleet ships and aircraft squadrons. First Naval Component Commander to the US Northern Command established in October 1st, 2002 in response to the Global war on terrorism. He exercised operational control over east and west coast Navy and Coast Guard forces conducting missions in support of homeland defense. Admiral Natter is a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College and holds Master Degrees in Business Management and International Relations.

REAR ADMIRAL JOSÉ ANTONIO GONZALEZ CARRION On July 21st, 2005 we were honored to have as guest speaker the Director of Naval Education in Spain. Present during the dinner as well was the recipient of the NLUS Award, cadet Rafael Arias Ocejo, number one in his graduating class.... According to RA González Carrión naval education is changing, adapting itself to the new technological advances. The Academy in Marín is responsible for the formation of naval officers, (the school is situated in Marín since 1943). RA González Carrión stressed the strong ties that the Spanish Navy has with the US Navy and how officers have been training in US ships, destroyers and minesweepers since the early 70’s. He commented on the new study program via Intranet, similar to a “virtual teaching course” that the Spanish Navy presented to the Naval Research Personnel Development Command at the University of Monterey, and that could also serve in their formation of officers. RA González Carrión, born in Ciudad Real graduated from the Naval Academy with the rank of Lieutenant junior grade in July 1974. He was promoted to Captain in 2000 and received a degree from the Spanish Naval War College in 1995. He is a specialist in Naval communications and submarines. In 1985 with the rank of Lieutenant, he was the commanding officer of the coastal minesweeper Odiel and in 1991 he commanded the submarine, Siroco, for two years with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. His land assignments include the training of operational crews of surface ships, the chief of communications of the Spanish Mediterranean Zone and opperations officer of National Sobopauth in Cartagena. In this assignment he was working for NATO, attached to the Spanish Submarine Nato Staff Commands. He also was professor of the Spanish Naval War College in Madrid and was nominated as the the military representative in Nato Headquarters in Brussels. Having also worked in the Plans Division of the Ministry of Defense, he assumed the command of the Escuela Naval Militar in November 2001. On September 19th 2004 he was promoted to Rear Admiral and on October 2nd he was appointed Director of Naval Education. He is a recipient of the Naval Merit Cross and holds other personal and collective awards.