interview
Lieutenant General Francisco Braco
Carbó, Commander of the
Operations Command Spain
“WE WORK FOR
THE SECURITY
AND SAFETY OF
ALL SPANIARDS”
He emphasises that operations are the
“raison d’être” of the Armed Forces and
claims that in operation Mission Baluarte,
which he leads, “no military member will
leave anyone on their own”
GENERAL Braco was
appointed Commander of
the Operations Command
Spain (MOPS) on 22
September and, nine days later, on 1
October, when Mission Baluarte was
activated, he took the lead of the new
Armed Forces operation against the
coronavirus from Retamares base
in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid).
“Our soldiers are waging this war
with generosity and courage”, says
Lieutenant General Francisco Braco
Carbó (Benirredrá, Valencia, 1960)
who, as deputy commander and chief
of staff of the Operations Command,
closely monitored Operation Balmis,
the first operation against COVID-19.
Those who know this member
of the Air Force, who commanded
the 45th Air Force Group and has
been engaged in seven international
missions, praise his great working
capacity and his ability to create a good
atmosphere among those around him.
“This is one of the objectives I would
like to achieve the most, because when
people feel comfortable and useful,
their performance increases”, explains
General Braco.
—”Don’t let me make any mista-
kes”, you usually say to the members
of your General Staff.
—I truly mean it. It means putting
my full trust in their hands, and it is
also a way of demanding their loyalty.
What I mean is that if they see that I
am going to take a decision that might
cause problems or is not the right one,
they should warn me. The General
Staff is in charge of dealing with
problems and proposing solutions,
and it is the chief of staff who takes
the decision. There is no room for
individualism. I am not alone. I think
the commander should not be a
bottleneck and that the figure of an
authoritarian boss is negative for
organisations. In order to maximise
and bring together all the working
potential of the Operations Command
Staff, you need to build trust.
—You have been in the Operations
Command for more than five years,
where you have been Deputy Chief
of Staff Support; deputy commander
and chief of staff; and now you are
commander. Has your previous expe-
rience been useful for your current
position?
—Certainly, since it has allowed
me to be effective from the very
beginning. It has helped me to gain
an insight into every detail of our
work in operations, both national and
international, and it has also been good
“training” to be able to lead from this
position. Furthermore, the fact that the
personnel in the Operations Command
know me and understand my way of
working has been important for all of
us to adapt to this change.
—What will be your roadmap?
—The will to work in the most
efficient and effective way for the
security and safety of all Spaniards.
We have a great responsibility in the
Operations Command, since in addition
to planning, monitoring, conducting and
leading the sustainment of operations,
we must specifically focus on the
military personnel deployed abroad
and in Spanish territory. Each mission
entails monitoring and maintaining
direct and constant contact with
each contingent, so as to immediately
respond to any difficulties.
I will continue in the line of work
of my predecessor, Lieutenant General
Fernando López del Pozo, who at all
times demonstrated his commitment
and his effort in enhancing the value of
joint collaboration. Previously, when I
was Deputy Chief of Staff Support, the
commander was then Admiral Teodoro
López Calderón, with whom I share
the conviction that the Operations
Command is the driving force behind
the Armed Forces. Operations are
14 Revista Española de Defensa December 2020