Samuel Paparo

Samuel John Paparo Jr. (born 1964) is an American admiral who has served as the commander of the United States Pacific Command since 2024.

Paparo is a native of Pennsylvania. He received his commission at the Aviation Officer Candidate School of the United States Navy in 1987 and became a naval aviator in 1989. A graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), he has over 6,000 flight hours and conducted over 1,100 carrier landings. Paparo also earned master's degrees from Old Dominion University and the Naval Postgraduate School.

He flew combat missions during the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, and later deployed on the ground to lead a provincial reconstruction team during the war in Afghanistan, from 2007 to 2008. He was also deployed for the Iraq War. Paparo's commands included two strike fighter squadrons, Carrier Air Wing 7 from 2011 to 2012, and Carrier Strike Group 8 from 2017 to 2018. He also served as the director of operations at the United States Central Command from 2018 to 2020.

Paparo served as the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and the Combined Maritime Forces from 2020 to 2021, and then as the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet from 2021 to 2024. Since becoming commander of Indo-Pacific Command, he had a role in the peace negotiations during the 2025 Cambodian–Thai border crisis, and in enforcing the naval blockade of Iran during the 2026 Iran war.

Early life and education Samuel John Paparo Jr. was born in 1964, and grew up in Morton, Pennsylvania, a working-class borough in Delaware County outside Philadelphia. He is the son of a former enlisted Marine and the grandson of a World War II enlisted sailor. He attended Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Villanova University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He was commissioned in 1987 through the Aviation Officer Candidate School at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

Early naval career After receiving his commission in the United States Navy in 1987, His first staff assignment was under the Commander, Naval Air Forces, as an F/A-18 training, readiness, and requirements officer, which lasted from March 2002 until August 2004. He was the squadron commander from August 2005 to December 2006. Nuristan was among the most remote and contested regions of the Afghan theater, bordering Pakistan's tribal areas.

Paparo served as deputy commander of Carrier Air Wing 7 (CVW-7) from October 2009 to August 2011, embarked aboard . He was then the commander of the wing until December 2012.

He later served as battle director at the Combined Air and Space Operations Center, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar; branch head of program planning and development (N80) on the chief of naval operations staff; and executive assistant to the commander of United States Fleet Forces Command, and to the 31st chief of naval operations, Admiral John Richardson. In September 2017, following Hurricane Irma's devastation of the Florida Keys, Paparo directed the strike group's task force in Defense Support of Civil Authorities operations, clearing roads, restoring flight operations at Naval Air Station Key West, and coordinating restoration of critical utilities alongside the Florida National Guard and FEMA. In this capacity, he directed all U.S. naval forces in the Middle East and coordinated a 33-nation international naval coalition responsible for maritime security operations supporting stability in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean, including operations in support of the conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.

On 5 May 2021, Paparo assumed command of the United States Pacific Fleet, the world's largest fleet command. While commanding the Pacific Fleet, he developed concepts and experimentation efforts for the usage of naval forces to deter China, including with the use of sea and air drones. Paparo also oversaw the Navy's response to the Red Hill water crisis in Oahu, Hawaii, from late 2021, caused by a leak from a Navy fuel storage facility into the island's water supply. In the interview, Paparo framed the strategic challenge posed by China’s rapid naval expansion, noting that the People's Republic of China Navy had grown from roughly 37 vessels in the early 2000s to 350. Asked whether the U.S. Navy was prepared to defend Taiwan, Paparo responded: "We're ready, yes. I'll never admit to being ready enough." The segment drew praise from the naval affairs community for presenting the service's posture with candor and nuance. Paparo's TOPGUN background drew additional media attention, with 60 Minutes noting he discussed the realism of flight sequences in the film Top Gun: Maverick with his children.

INDOPACOM/PACOM commander Paparo at the Pacific Fleet change of command ceremony, on 4 April 2024. Nominated in July 2023 and confirmed by the Senate in February 2024, Paparo assumed command of United States Indo-Pacific Command on 3 May 2024, in a ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam attended by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown Jr., and ambassadors from allied nations. He succeeded Admiral John C. Aquilino as the 27th commander of the combatant command. Following Franchetti's removal by President Donald Trump in February 2025, Paparo was again reported as a leading contender for the post but reportedly declined consideration, choosing to remain focused on the Indo-Pacific Command. After the outbreak of the 2025 Cambodian–Thai border crisis in July, Paparo made several trips to Malaysia, where he encouraged the military chiefs of the two countries to end the conflict. His role in the peace efforts was critical before the arrival of Trump in October for the signing of a peace deal.

In January 2026 he attended a conference of the Pacific Forum to discuss a potential conflict with China with hundreds of military officers, business executives, and representatives of allies.

On 16 June 2026 INDOPACOM was renamed back to United States Pacific Command. In the Secretary of Defense Orders Book of 14 August 2026, Paparo was among the three combatant commanders who disagreed with the support that they had to provide for the war against Iran, because it decreased their capabilities in their own region. In particular, PACOM provided its aircraft carrier strike group and destroyers.

Awards and decorations In May 2025, Paparo delivered the commencement address at Villanova University’s 182nd graduation ceremony and received an honorary Doctor of Military Science degree. During his command of the Fifth Fleet, Paparo was awarded the Order of Khalifa by the King of Bahrain in recognition of his service strengthening the bilateral security relationship and his leadership of the 33-nation Combined Maritime Forces coalition.

Dates of promotion + Rank Branch Date EnsignNavy 1987 Lieutenant commander 8 November 1997 Commander 31 July 2002 Captain 27 June 2008 Rear admiral (lower half) 22 June 2017 Rear admiral 26 April 2018 Vice admiral 20 March 2020 Admiral 25 March 2021

Personal life Paparo is married to Maureen, also a graduate of Villanova University. They have six children. Paparo is Catholic and has been a member of the Knights of Columbus since 2005.