Sam Brown, a combat-wounded Army veteran, was confirmed Tuesday, July 29, 2025, as undersecretary for memorial affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. (Sam Brown)
WASHINGTON — Sam Brown, a combat-wounded veteran, pledged to tap his experiences as an Army captain that included surviving catastrophic injuries from a roadside explosion in his new job as undersecretary for memorial affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Brown, a Purple Heart recipient, said “the message of hope” that he heard on the battlefield in Afghanistan from another soldier who rushed to save him is one that he will share as the new leader of the National Cemetery Administration with military families who have lost a loved one.
As undersecretary, Brown will oversee operations and maintenance of 156 national cemeteries. The National Cemetery Administration provides burial services for more than 100,000 military veterans and eligible family members each year.
The Republican-led Senate confirmed Brown, 41, of Nevada as undersecretary Tuesday night by a vote of 54-44. Only two Democratic senators — Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto — joined Republicans to approve his nomination. Both are from Brown’s home state.
“Capt. Sam Brown understands the sacrifices made every day by the men and women in the U.S. military and their families, and he is well-equipped to undertake this significant responsibly,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., who is chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “Through our conversations and his past military experience, Capt. Brown has demonstrated that he is prepared to lead the National Cemetery Administration in honoring and remembering those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
The undersecretary also oversees the Veterans Legacy Memorial Project that enables veterans to document and record their memories of military service.
“The National Cemetery Administration is there to tell these family members and loved ones, ‘We’ve got you’,” Brown said in January after President Donald Trump nominated him for the job.
Tuesday’s confirmation vote followed a directive Saturday by Trump for the Republican-led Senate to move quickly to confirm 135 pending nominations.
Brown posted remarks on social media following his confirmation and thanked the president for choosing him for the position.
“After the Senate confirmed my nomination to be undersecretary of Veterans Affairs tonight, I prayed with my family to thank God for guiding us to this point. I thanked Amy and our kids for supporting my efforts to serve the great USA again. And, I closed my prayer in asking for wisdom in this leadership role,” said Brown, who served in the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Cavazos, Texas, from 2006 to 2011.
The Senate last week confirmed Richard Topping, another Army veteran, as VA chief financial officer. Topping is a former captain who served as a judge advocate and special U.S. assistant attorney. He is past president of a health insurance company that covered people with complex medical conditions.
The nomination of James Baehr, a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, to be VA general counsel is pending a final Senate vote.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has urged the Senate not to break for August recess until the confirmation votes are completed.
