General Fernando José Sant'ana Soares e Silva

Chief of Staff Brazilian Army

Army General FERNANDO JOSÉ SANT'ANA SOARES E SILVA has been the Chief of Staff of the Army since April 4, 2023.

Promoted to current rank on March 31, 2020.

Born on August 23, 1960, in the capital city of Rio de Janeiro, he is the son of José Camilo Soares e Silva and Julia Sant'ana Soares e Silva.

He joined the ranks of the Army on March 3, 1975, at the Preparatory School for Army Cadets, headquartered in Campinas, São Paulo.

He was declared an aspiring cavalry officer on December 11, 1982, being classified in the 10th Mechanized Cavalry Regiment, located in Bela Vista, Mato Grosso do Sul.

In addition to the training, improvement and higher military studies courses, General Soares has the Riding Instructor course at the Army Riding School; Army Politics, Strategy and Senior Administration course at the Army Command and General Staff School; MBA in administration and business at Fundação Getúlio Vargas and postgraduate degree in international relations at Universidade Católica de Brasília.

During his military life, he was an instructor at the Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras, in Resende, and at the Army Command and General Staff School, in Rio de Janeiro-RJ.

Commanded the Army Riding School and the 2nd Guards Cavalry Regiment, both in Rio de Janeiro-RJ.

Abroad, he was a military observer for the United Nations, in Mozambique; military attache at the Brazilian embassy in Suriname; and Deputy Commander of the Brazilian Peace Force Battalion in Haiti

As a general officer, he commanded the 5th Armored Cavalry Brigade, in Ponta Grossa-PR; he was the Chief of Staff of the Eastern Military Command, in Rio de Janeiro-RJ; 3rd Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, in Brasília-DF, and commanded the 1st Military Region, in Rio de Janeiro-RJ. In Campo Grande-MS, he commanded the Western Military Command and, in Porto Alegre-RS, the Southern Military Command.

He was decorated, among others, with the following Medals: Gold Military Medal with Platinum clip (Troop Corps 3 Helmets), Marshal Hermes A Silver Crown Medal, Armored Merit Medal and Marechal Osório – The Legendary.

Gen. Soares is married to Mrs. Laura Vargas Acauan, together they have four children: Thaís, Olívia, Maj Chuy and Guilherme. And four granddaughters; Helena, Beatriz, Luiza and Alice.