Colonel Carlos Herráiz Linares

Commander European Tactical Airlift Centre

Colonel Carlos Herráiz is a transport pilot in the Spanish Air & Space Force and currently serves as Commander of the European Tactical Airlift Centre (ETAC) in Zaragoza, Spain. With 38 years of military service, he has held a range of operational, training, and staff appointments across transport aviation units, the Air Force Academy, Spanish Air & Space Force Headquarters, and the Spanish Joint Operations Command, where he served as J4 Chief for Operational Logistics. Throughout his career, Colonel Herráiz has deployed on numerous operational missions. During the Balkan conflict in 1994, he was part of the crew of a transport aircraft that was struck by two surface-to-air missiles near the Croatia-Serbia border, an incident he regards as a miracle to have survived. He has also supported operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, and Gabon. As a senior staff officer within the Spanish Joint Operations Command, he played a key role in the planning and logistical support of major deployments and operations, including non-combatant evacuation operations (NEOs) in Sudan and Afghanistan, NATO exercises, Air Policing missions, and multinational force deployments, including the Spanish-led NATO Battle Group in Slovakia. His distinguished service has been recognised with numerous decorations, including Aeronautical and Naval Crosses, NATO Medals, the French National Defence Silver Medal, and the U.S. Joint Service Achievement Medal.