Sam Brown | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2025 | |
| Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Memorial Affairs | |
| Assumed office August 1, 2025[1] | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Secretary | Doug Collins |
| Preceded by | Matthew T. Quinn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Samuel Boaz Brown (1983-10-15)October 15, 1983 (age 42) Arkansas, U.S. |
| Nationality | American Cherokee Nation |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Mike Brown (great-uncle) |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) Southern Methodist University (MBA) |
| Website | Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 2006–2011 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 1st Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | |
Samuel Boaz Brown[2] (born October 15, 1983) is an American politician, military officer, author, and government official serving as theUnder Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Memorial Affairs since 2025. He served in theUnited States Army during theWar in Afghanistan, and sustained burns to thirty percent of his body due to animprovised explosive device injury in 2008.
Brown began several business ventures and became active inRepublican Party politics inTexas. In 2014, he unsuccessfully sought the party's nomination for aseat in the Texas House of Representatives. After moving toNevada in 2018, Brown unsuccessfully ran for the NevadaU.S. Senate nomination in the2022 election.[3][4] He ran again in the2024 election, this time winning the Republican nomination, but lost toDemocratic incumbent SenatorJacky Rosen in the general election.
In January 2025, PresidentDonald Trump nominated Brown to serve asUnder Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Memorial Affairs. He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on July 29, 2025, by a vote of 54–44, with additional support fromCatherine Cortez Masto andJacky Rosen, both Nevada Senators. Brown was sworn into office on August 1, 2025, by Secretary of Veterans AffairsDoug Collins.[5][6]
Brown was born inArkansas into a military family; his father and two younger brothers also served in thewar on terror after theSeptember 11th attacks.[3] He was educated at theUnited States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 2006.[4][7] He also holds aMaster of Business Administration (MBA) fromSouthern Methodist University.[8]
After completing his training at theUnited States Army Infantry School,Ranger School, andAirborne School, Brown joined 3rd Brigade Combat Team,1st Infantry Division atFort Hood,Texas.[8]
In 2008, he was deployed toKandahar, Afghanistan,[8] where he served as an infantry Platoon Leader.[9] In September 2008, while supporting the multinational cooperative project of delivering a turbine to theKajaki Dam,[10] he and his soldiers were wounded by an improvised explosive device when responding to another US Army unit that was ambushed and in a direct fire.[4]
As a result, thirty percent of Brown'sbody was burned, and he lost his left index finger.[4][9][11] He was evacuated and was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center inSan Antonio, Texas.[9] Due to this event, he is sometimes called Burning Man.[4]
Brown's recovery from the burn wounds and experimental pain management solutions were covered by multiple media outlets. He was a participant in medical studies using virtual reality to reduce pain during physical therapy sessions.[10] His physical therapy was a long and painful process that lasted several years.[12]
In 2011, Brown retired as a Captain from the U.S. Army.[8] In 2012, he returned to Afghanistan to provide inspiration to US troops deployed there, and to have a chance for a "proper exit."[13]
In 2012, Brown founded Palisade Strategies,[14] a firm that provided critical medications to veterans when Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics could not.[14] Brown sold the business in 2022.[15]
In 2014, Brown ran in the Republican primary for the District 10 seat in theTexas House of Representatives.[11][16] He finished in third place with 27.5% of the vote.[17]
In 2021, Brown launched his campaign to become a US Senator from Nevada.[18] His campaign drew national attention, both from media and fundraisers.[19][20] He raised over $1 million every quarter of his campaign as he challengedAdam Laxalt, a Republican who was endorsed byDonald Trump for the US Senate seat.[21]
Brown received the support and endorsement of local and state political party leaders,[22] but lost in the primary election,[23] receiving 34% of the vote to Laxalt's 56%.[24]
After this loss, Brown formed the Duty First PAC.[25] As of August 2023, the Duty First PAC had spent most of the contributions it had received to repay debts from Brown’s 2022 campaign, with 7% of its spending going to other Republican candidates.[26]
In July 2023, Brown announced his second candidacy for a Nevada U.S. Senate seat, this time challenging incumbent DemocratJacky Rosen in the2024 election.[27] His Republican challengers for the Republican nomination included former Trump administration Ambassador to IcelandJeff Gunter, former Nevada State RepresentativeJim Marchant, and ten other candidates.[28][29] His campaign was endorsed by U.S. Republican senatorsSteve Daines of Montana[30] andMarsha Blackburn ofTennessee.[31]
In February 2024, Brown's wife, Amy, spoke about an abortion she had in Texas just prior to meeting her husband. Sam Brown opposes a federal abortion ban and supports Nevada's current law that legally protects the right to an abortion.[32][33] Brown had previously supported a 2013 Texas law banning abortion after 20 weeks that did not provide exceptions for rape or incest.[34]
In June 2024, Trump endorsed Brown in the Republican primary.[35] Brown was a featured speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee,[36] speaking on unity and the high cost of war.[37]
During Trump's nomination acceptance speech on the final night of the convention, Trump praised Brown, saying: "[Brown] paid the biggest price probably ever paid by anybody that is running for office, and I think he is going to do great." Brown was the only 2024 U.S. Senate candidate mentioned by Trump during his speech.[38]
Despite Trump winning the state of Nevada in the concurrentpresidential election, Brown was defeated by Rosen, receiving 46.2% of the vote to Rosen's 47.9%.[39]
In his capacity as Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Memorial Affairs, Brown has overseen the expansion of the National Cemetery Administration’s efforts to increase access to burial benefits for veterans and their families across the United States.
On September 10, 2025, he delivered keynote remarks at the dedication of the Southern Utah National Cemetery in Cedar City, the first national cemetery constructed in Utah and the 157th within the VA system.[40] The 8.14-acre site, developed from land acquired in 2018, is designed to accommodate approximately 15,000 interments at an estimated rate of 200 per year.[41]
During the ceremony, Brown emphasized the cemetery’s symbolic importance to veterans and their communities, stating that “this is not about the numbers … it’s about people, service, and sacrifice.” He credited Utah’s congressional delegation and local leaders for their role in advancing the project and reaffirmed the VA’s commitment to ensuring that “America does not forget her heroes.”[42]
Brown followed his 2022 campaign for U.S. Senate by becoming the chairman of the Nevada Faith and Freedom Coalition, a political non-profit organization. The state chapter's efforts focused on "combating human trafficking, advocating for meaningful criminal justice reform, and supporting the devastated communities recovering from the COVID-19 shutdowns."[43]
Brown is a member of theCherokee Nation.[44]
In May 2009, Brown married Amy Larsen, an Armyfirst lieutenant from South Dakota and critical care dietitian who worked in the Department of Defense Burn Center atBrooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.[4][9][11]
Brown and his family have lived inReno, Nevada, since 2018 and are active members at their church, Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks.[45]
Brown's awards and decorations include:[7][46]
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In addition, Brown has been awarded theRanger tab andParachutist Badge.
Brown was inducted into the Northwood University Gallery of Distinction.[47]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromNevada (Class 1) 2024 | Most recent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Memorial Affairs 2025–present | Incumbent |