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Samuel Paparo

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Samuel Paparo
Birth nameSamuel John Paparo Jr.
Born1964 (age 59–60)
Morton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1987–present
RankAdmiral
CommandsUnited States Pacific Fleet
United States Naval Forces Central Command
United States Fifth Fleet
Combined Maritime Forces
Carrier Strike Group 10
Carrier Air Wing Seven
Battles / warsWar in Afghanistan
Iraq War
AwardsDefense Superior Service Medal[citation needed]
Legion of Merit (4)[citation needed]
Bronze Star[citation needed]
Alma materVillanova University (BA)
Old Dominion University (MA)
Naval Postgraduate School (MS)

Samuel John Paparo Jr. (born 1964) is a United States Navy four-star admiral serving as the 64th commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, succeeding Admiral John C. Aquilino on May 5, 2021.[not verified in body]

Early life and education

Samuel John Paparo Jr. was born in 1964,[1][better source needed][2] and is a native of Morton, Pennsylvania.[3] He is the son of a former enlisted Marine and the grandson of a World War II enlisted sailor.[citation needed] As a youth, Paparo attended Cardinal O'Hara High School.[4] A graduate of Villanova University in 1987,[4] he was commissioned via the Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) program at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, also in 1987.[citation needed] He is also a graduate of Navy Flight School as a naval aviator ("Top Gun"), and of advanced Fighter Weapons School.[4]

Paparo earned an M.A. degree in International Studies from Old Dominion University and an M.S. degree in Systems Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School.[when?] He also graduated from the Air Command and Staff College, the Air War College, the Naval War College and the Joint and Combined Warfighting School of the Joint Forces Staff College.[5][6][7][excessive citations]

Career

Paparo's training qualified him as a naval aviator on the F-14, F-15 and F/A-18 airframes; as of October 2020, he flown more than 6,000 hours in those aircraft, and had made more than 1,100 landings on aircraft carriers.[4] Paparo served the U.S. Navy's Carrier Air Wing 7 (CVW 7) as deputy air wing commander from October 2009 through August 2011, assigned to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.[8] The air wing comprised eight squadrons, including "F/A-18C/E/F Hornets and Super Hornets, E-2C Hawkeye airborne command and control aircraft, EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft, H-60F/H Sea Knight helicopters, and C-2A Greyhounds", with 1,500 enlisted personnel and officers.[8] He subsequently took command of CVW 7 in August 2011, relieving Capt. Roy J. Kelley,[8] a position he remained in until December 2012.[9][verification needed]

Paparo then went on to command Carrier Strike Group 10 (CSG-10) from July 2017,[10][verification needed] until March 2018,[3] a group comprising the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a carrier air wing (CVW 3, which included substantial fixed and rotary wing airframes and personnel, including early warning and electronic attack units), and guided missile cruisers USS San Jacinto, USS Vella Gulf, and USS Monterey, and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON, with its guided missile destroyers USS Stout, USS Oscar Austin, and USS McFaul).[3] In addition to a variuety of global training and exercise events, Paparo's forces provided intensive support for "Defense Support to Civilian Authorities (DSCA) operations", following Hurricane Irma's impact on the Florida keys in September 2017 (overseeing a task force of multiple units that cleared roads, and restored restored boat ramp and flight operations at Naval Air Station Key West, and electrical, water, and air conditioning services to vital military and civilian buildings in coordination with the Florida National Guard and FEMA).[3]

After being elevated to the rank of U.S. Navy Vice Admiral, Paparo served as commander of the United States Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, overseeing "all U.S. naval forces stationed throughout the Middle East", including coordination of the 33-country international naval coalition that "oversees safety of those waters and supports operations in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan".[4] In addition, he served as director of operations of the United States Naval Forces Central Command out of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.[3] and went on to command the Combined Maritime Forces.[when?][11][12][verification needed]

As of May 5, 2021, he had been elevated to the rank of four-star admiral in the United States Navy,[when?] and was serving as the 64th commander of the United States Pacific Fleet (succeeding Admiral John C. Aquilino).[13][14][clarification needed][verification needed]

In July 2023, Paparo was nominated for reappointment to the grade of admiral and assignment as the commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command.[15][16]

Awards and decorations

Naval Aviator insignia
Command at Sea insignia
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (March 29, 2018[3]), with three gold award stars
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two award stars
Air Medal with one bronze service star, Combat V and bronze Strike/Flight numeral "6"
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
 Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Bronze star
 Navy Unit Commendation with service star
Bronze star
 Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with service star
Navy "E" Ribbon with three Battle E devices
Combat Readiness Medal
Bronze star
 National Defense Service Medal with service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Bronze star
 Iraq Campaign Medal with service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one silver and three bronze service stars
Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with three service stars
The Khalifiyyeh Order of Bahrain, 2nd Class
Bronze star
 NATO Medal for service with ISAF with service star
Navy Expert Rifleman Medal
Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government. This information is indicated by inline citation to make clear that this was its source.

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  1. ^ BNP Staff (October 1, 1990). Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy on Active Duty. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Navy, Bureau of Naval Personnel. p. 151. Retrieved July 21, 2023.[non-primary source needed]
  2. ^ Selzer, Spc. Henry (August 28, 2007). "Nuristan PRT celebrates Afghan Independence Day". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS, dvidshub.net). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f DVIDS Staff (March 29, 2018). "CSG-10 Bids Farewell to Rear Adm. Paparo, Welcomes Rear Adm. Meier during Change of Command". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS, dvidshub.net). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e Bjorkgren, David (October 6, 2020). "Cardinal O'Hara Grad Takes Over U.S. Navy Middle Eastern Fleet". DelCo.Today. Delaware County, PA: American Community Journals. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  5. ^ "Admiral Samuel Paparo". www.navy.mil.
  6. ^ "U.S. Naval Forces Central Command > Leadership > Commander". www.cusnc.navy.mil.
  7. ^ "CMF Leadership". Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). September 17, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c WVEC Staff (August 3, 2011). "New leader for Carrier Air Wing 7". 13newsnow.com. Norfolk, Virginia: WVEC-TV. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  9. ^ Affairs, SN Brian Wilbur, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Public. "CVW-7 holds change of command". Military News.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Affairs, This story was written by Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group Public. "CSG-10 Bids Farewell to Rear Adm. Malloy, Welcomes Rear Adm. Paparo during Change of Command". Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  11. ^ "VADM Malloy hands over to VADM Paparo in Change of Command ceremony". Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). August 19, 2020.
  12. ^ "NAVCENT, U.S. Fifth Fleet, CMF Change of Command". U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
  13. ^ U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs (May 5, 2021). "Paparo takes helm as U.S. Pacific Fleet commander". Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  14. ^ "Flag Officer Announcements". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
  15. ^ "PN885 — Adm. Samuel J. Paparo Jr. — Navy, 118th Congress (2023-2024)". U.S. Congress. July 25, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  16. ^ "Flag Officer Announcements". U.S. Department of Defense. July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of Carrier Air Wing 7
2011–2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of Carrier Strike Group 10
2017–2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Director of Operations of United States Central Command
2018–2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of the United States Naval Forces Central Command and United States Fifth Fleet
2020–2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet
2021–present 		Incumbent
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