Commodore (OF 6) Jose Rafael Ferreira de Oliveira Rodrigues Pinto was born in Povoa de Varzim, Oporto, on the 26th of January 1966 and joined the Esco/a Naval(Naval Academy) in October 1985.
Upon completion of his Degree in Naval Military Sciences, he was promoted to midshipman in October 1990 and to his current rank in December 2021.
He specialized in Communications and Electronic Warfare in 1994 and attended several courses such as the national Amphibious Operations Planning, the International Senior Officer Amphibious Planning at the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group, Pacific, USA, as well as the Spanish Curso de Altos £studios Estrategicos para Oficiales Superiores Jberoamericanos at the Centro Superior de £studios de la Defensa Nacional, Madrid, and most recently the Flag Officers Course at the national Military University Institute in Lisbon.
At sea, he served as the Executive Officer of the patrol boat NRP Save, Commanding Officer of the patrol boat NRP Rio Minho, Principal Warfare Officer and Head of the Communications and Electronic Warfare of the frigates NRP Sacadura Cabral and NRP Hermenegildo Cape/0', Executive Officer and Operations Officer of the corvette NRP Baptista de Andrade-, and Commanding Officer of the corvette NRP Baptista de Andrade.
Ashore, he held several positions, namely, Aide-De-Camp to the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Senior Staff Officer and then Head of the Operations Division of the Fleet Command HQ, Director of the Fleet Command Maritime Operations Centre (COMAR), Military Advisor to the President of the Republic, Military Counsellor to the Portuguese Delegation to NATO, Head of the Human Resources Department at the Personnel Directorate, Head of the Navy General Staff Operations Division, Head of the Cabinet of the Superintendent of Personnel, Head of the Plans and Policy Division of the Portuguese Armed Forces General Staff, Commander of the Azores Maritime Region, Commander of the Azores Maritime Police and Diretor of the Ponta Delgada Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.
Within the remit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, he was the permanent delegate to the Consultation, Command and Control Board (C3Board), to the Council Operations and Exercise Committee (COEC) and to the Civil Emergency Planning Committee (CEPC).
Throughout his career, Commodore Rafael Pinto has been distinguished with several relevant commendations and decorations, including Commander of the Military Order of Avis (ComA).
He is married to Maria da Conceição and he has one daughter, Joana Margarida.