Armed Forces General Staff (Portugal)

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Armed Forces General Staff
Estado-Maior-General das Forças Armadas
Military Standard of Portugal
Active1950–1974 (SGDN);
1974–present (EMGFA)
CountryPortugal
BranchArmed forces
TypeMilitary staff
Part ofPortuguese Armed Forces
HeadquartersLisbon
Motto(s)Que quem quis sempre pôde
("Who wills aye finds a way", from The Lusiads, Canto IX, 95, v. 6)
EngagementsAnnexation of Goa
Portuguese Colonial War
IFOR
SFOR
EUFOR
KFOR
Afghanistan War
Peacekeaping missions
Angola
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
North Macedonia
Western Sahara
Georgia
Lebanon
Websitewww.emgfa.pt
Commanders
Current ChiefGeneral José Nunes da Fonseca
Insignia
AbbreviationEMGFA

The Armed Forces General Staff (Portuguese: Estado-Maior-General das Forças Armadas), or EMGFA, is the supreme military body of Portugal. It is responsible for the planning, command and control of the Portuguese Armed Forces.

EMGFA is headed by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (Portuguese: Chefe do Estado-Maior-General das Forças Armadas) or CEMGFA, the highest rank of general in the Portuguese Armed Forces.

History[edit]

In 1950, as part of the Portuguese military reforms related with the lessons learned following World War II, the start of the Cold War and the foundation of NATO, the roles of minister of National Defence and of Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff (CEMGFA) were created. The creation of these roles was a major step in the planned integration of the several military service branches and so the establishment of the Armed Forces of Portugal as a single organization. The CEMGFA assumed most of the responsibilities until then assigned to the military heads of the Navy and of the Army, the then existing service branches, as the Air Force would only be created in 1952.

At the same time and as a forerunner of a future General Staff, the Secretariat-General of National Defence (Portuguese: Secretariado-Geral da Defesa Nacional) or SGDN was established. The SGDN was the central planning organization of the Defence, being headed by the CEMGFA.

In 1969, it was decreed that SGDN should be remodelled in order to be transformed into the Armed Forces General Staff (EMGFA), as the organization for the joint administration of the Armed Forces. However, transformation of the SGDN into the EMGFA occurred only in 1974.

Organization[edit]

The Armed Forces General Staff is integrated into the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence and includes:

  • The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (CEMGFA)
  • The Joint Staff (EMC, Estado-Maior Conjunto)
  • The Joint Operational Command (COC, Comando Operacional Conjunto)
  • The operational commands of the Azores and Madeira
  • The commanders-in-chief that can be created under the CEMGFA, in times of war
  • The Military Security and Information Center (CISMIL, Centro de Informações e Segurança Militares)
  • The general support organizations

Under the dependency of the CEMGFA are also:

Chief of the General Staff[edit]

The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces is the operational commander of the Portuguese Armed Forces in times of peace. In times of war, he assumes the complete command of the Armed Forces. The CEMGFA is a general officer of one of the three branches of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force), appointed by the President of Portugal, by proposal of the Government of Portugal.

List of chiefs of the General Staff[edit]

No. Portrait Chief Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch Ref.
1
Aníbal César Valdez de Passos e Sousa [pt]
de Passos e Sousa, Aníbal César ValdêsGeneral
Aníbal César Valdez de Passos e Sousa [pt]
(1884–1954)
5 August 19506 December 19511 year, 123 days Portuguese Army
2
Manuel Ortins de Bettencourt [pt]
de Bettencourt, Manuel OrtinsRear admiral
Manuel Ortins de Bettencourt [pt]
(1892–1969)
12 December 19519 February 19553 years, 59 days Portuguese Navy
3
Júlio Botelho Moniz
Moniz, Júlio BotelhoGeneral
Júlio Botelho Moniz
(1900–1979)
3 March 195513 August 19583 years, 163 days Portuguese Army
4
José António da Rocha Beleza Ferraz
Ferraz, José António da Rocha BelezaGeneral
José António da Rocha Beleza Ferraz
(1901–?)
22 August 195812 April 19612 years, 233 days Portuguese Army
5
Manuel Gomes de Araújo [pt]
de Araújo, Manuel GomesGeneral
Manuel Gomes de Araújo [pt]
(1897–1982)
13 April 19613 December 19621 year, 234 days Portuguese Army
6
Venâncio Augusto Deslandes [pt]
Deslandes, Venâncio AugustoGeneral
Venâncio Augusto Deslandes [pt]
(1909–1985)
16 August 19684 September 19724 years, 19 days Portuguese Air Force
7
Francisco da Costa Gomes
Gomes, Francisco da CostaGeneral
Francisco da Costa Gomes
(1914–2001)
[a]
5 September 197213 March 19741 year, 189 days Portuguese Army
8
Joaquim da Luz Cunha [pt]
Cunha, Joaquim da LuzGeneral
Joaquim da Luz Cunha [pt]
(1914–?)
[b]
19 March 197428 April 197440 days Portuguese Army
(7)
Francisco da Costa Gomes
Gomes, Francisco da CostaGeneral
Francisco da Costa Gomes
(1914–2001)
[c]
29 April 197413 July 19762 years, 75 days Portuguese Army
9
António Ramalho Eanes
Eanes, António RamalhoGeneral
António Ramalho Eanes
(born 1935)
[d]
14 July 197616 February 19814 years, 217 days Portuguese Army
10
Nuno Viriato Tavares de Melo Egídio
de Melo Egídio, Nuno Viriato TavaresGeneral
Nuno Viriato Tavares de Melo Egídio
(1922–2011)
17 February 198118 February 19843 years, 1 day Portuguese Army
11
José Lemos Ferreira [pt]
Ferreira, José LemosGeneral
José Lemos Ferreira [pt]
(1929–2020)
1 March 19848 March 19895 years, 7 days Portuguese Air Force
12
António Soares Carneiro
Carneiro, António SoaresGeneral
António Soares Carneiro
(1928–2014)
29 March 198925 January 19944 years, 302 days Portuguese Army
13
António Carlos Fuzeta da Ponte [pt]
da Ponte, António Carlos FuzetaAdmiral
António Carlos Fuzeta da Ponte [pt]
(born 1935)
21 February 19949 March 19984 years, 16 days Portuguese Navy
14
Gabriel Espírito Santo [pt]
Santo, Gabriel EspíritoGeneral
Gabriel Espírito Santo [pt]
(1936–2014)
17 March 19988 August 20002 years, 144 days Portuguese Army
15
Manuel José Alvarenga de Sousa Santos [pt]
Santos, Manuel José Alvarenga de SousaGeneral
Manuel José Alvarenga de Sousa Santos [pt]
(born 1940)
12 August 200023 August 20022 years, 11 days Portuguese Air Force
16
José Manuel Garcia Mendes Cabeçadas [pt]
Cabeçadas, José Manuel Garcia MendesAdmiral
José Manuel Garcia Mendes Cabeçadas [pt]
(born 1943)
4 November 20025 December 20064 years, 31 days Portuguese Navy
17
Luís Valença Pinto [pt]
Pinto, Luís ValençaGeneral
Luís Valença Pinto [pt]
(born 1946)
5 December 20064 February 20114 years, 61 days Portuguese Army
18
Luís Evangelista Esteves Araújo
Araújo, Luís Evangelista EstevesGeneral
Luís Evangelista Esteves Araújo
(1949–2023)
7 February 20117 February 20143 years, 0 days Portuguese Air Force
19
Artur Neves Pina Monteiro [pt]
Monteiro, Artur Neves PinaGeneral
Artur Neves Pina Monteiro [pt]
(born 1952)
7 February 20141 March 20184 years, 22 days Portuguese Army
20
António da Silva Ribeiro
Ribeiro, António da SilvaAdmiral
António da Silva Ribeiro
(born 1957)
1 March 20181 March 20235 years, 0 days Portuguese Navy
21
José Nunes da Fonseca [pt]
da Fonseca, José NunesGeneral
José Nunes da Fonseca [pt]
(born 1961)
1 March 2023Incumbent1 year, 26 days Portuguese Army

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Dismissed because of refusal to swear loyalty to the Prime Minister Marcello Caetano in a public ceremony
  2. ^ Dismissed following the Carnation Revolution
  3. ^ Simultaneously served as President of the National Salvation Junta (30 September 1974 – 14 March 1975), 15th President of Portugal (30 September 1974 – 13 July 1976) and President of the Revolutionary Council (14 March 1975 – 13 July 1976)
  4. ^ Simultaneously served as 16th President of Portugal (14 July 1976 – 9 March 1986) and President of the Revolutionary Council (14 July 1976 – 30 September 1982)

References[edit]

  • RIBEIRO, António S., Organização Superior da Defesa Nacional, Prefácio, 2004

External links[edit]