President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday tapped former Nevada Senate candidate Sam Brown to function the top of cemetery and memorial affairs for the Division of Veterans Affairs, placing a combat-wounded veteran in control of the important thing put up.
In an announcement on social media, Trump known as Brown “an American hero” who will work “to make sure we put America’s veterans first and bear in mind all who served.”
Brown, 41, is a West Level alumnus who served within the Military for 5 years after commencement. Throughout a deployment to Afghanistan in 2008, he was severely wounded by an improvised explosive gadget.
He suffered burns on almost a 3rd of his physique, together with his face and neck, and misplaced a part of his hand within the assault. After his medical retirement from the army, he based a agency that supplied medicines to veterans whose authorities advantages didn’t present all of the care they wanted.
In an announcement on social media, Brown thanked Trump for the chance to work within the new administration.
“I sit up for working with incoming Secretary Doug Collins, a real servant chief, to enhance the VA and guarantee all who’ve served are honored with the dignity they’ve earned,” he wrote.
Brown launched a bid in 2023 to problem Democratic Sen. Jackie Rosen to characterize Nevada in Congress. He acquired help from Republican get together leaders together with Trump however misplaced by about 24,000 votes — lower than 2% of the entire ballots solid — in final November’s election.
If confirmed by the Senate, Brown could be the everlasting substitute for Matthew Quinn, who served as underneath secretary for memorial affairs from June 2021 to Might 2024. Ronald Walters has served because the performing official in control of the company since Quinn’s departure.
The memorial affairs put up is one in every of 5 highest confirmed positions inside VA, overseeing upkeep and operations at 155 nationwide cemeteries in 42 states in addition to commemorative websites in different places.
The job additionally consists of acquisition and enlargement efforts for memorial providers, together with division’s Veterans Legacy Memorial mission, which has on-line pages honoring greater than 10 million veterans.
No timeline has been set for when Brown will face a affirmation listening to earlier than the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. The panel is predicted to carry a affirmation listening to on Collins, Trump’s nominee to be VA Secretary, on Jan. 14.
Trump is scheduled to begin his second time period as president on Jan. 20.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White Home for Army Instances. He has coated Washington, D.C. since 2004, specializing in army personnel and veterans insurance policies. His work has earned quite a few honors, together with a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 Nationwide Headliner Award, the IAVA Management in Journalism award and the VFW Information Media award.
