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.