COL Fernandez was commissioned through ROTC after obtaining his Bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University of Puerto Rico in 1982. COL Fernandez’s education includes a Master’s degree in International Relations from Troy State University and he is a Doctorate Candidate in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic Course, Strategic Mobility Course, Engineer Officer Advanced Course, CAS3, Command and General Staff College, NATO Environmental School, and Topographic Officer Management Course.

Following Engineer Officer Basic, he served as various Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and staff positions in the 1st EN BN, 1st IN DIV (Mech) from 1982 until 1985. He served as Construction Officer for the 448 EN BN before going to the 699 EN CO (PC) where he served as Commander and Port Construction Engineer from 1986 until 1990. Following the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, he took over as Assistant S-3 of the 467th Engineer Battalion from 1991 through 1995 with a stint at FT Leavenworth in 1992 for CAS3 and as Commandant for the Headquarters Task Force Vulcan in the Republic of El Salvador from April 1994 until August 1994. He followed this assignment as a Liaison Officer for 412 ENCOM to the Republic of Panama from May to December of 1995 at SES. COL Fernandez then spent a year at FT Benning, GA attending Command and General Staff College, before taking over as Assistant Plans Officer for the 420th Engineer Brigade from 1997 until April 1999. From there, he became the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff Engineer for 7th ARCOM in Schwetzingen, Germany until August of 2001. In August 2001, he proceeded to an assignment at the 416 ENCOM where he served as the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff Engineer until April 2004 in Chicago, IL. He then spent two years as the 416 ENCOM LNO to the US SOUTHCOM J34 in Miami, Florida. COL Fernandez took over as the Assistant Corps Engineer, III Corps, FT Hood, TX in March of 2006 and proceeded to lead his section to assume duties as the MNC-I C7 Director from September 2006 until August 2007. Upon return from the Iraqi Theater of War, COL Fernandez served as Corps Staff Engineer and 420th EN BDE Rear Detachment OIC from August 2007 until his departure in July 2008 for his current assignment as USACE Deputy Chief of Staff, Reserve Components.

COL Fernandez’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with an Oak Leaf cluster, four Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, three Army Achievement Medals, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award with three Oak Leaf clusters, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon with a number 3 device, and the Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon and a number 3 device. He was also awarded the Army Engineer Association Bronze Order of the DeFleury Medal.