The Veterans Affairs and the National Cemetery Administration announced Samuel B. Brown of Reno as the new undersecretary for Memorial Affairs.

The U.S. Senate approved Brown on July 29, and he was sworn in by Secretary Douglas A. Collins on July 31. Both Nevada U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen voted for Brown’s approval. Rosen defeated Brown in her re-election bid for the U.S. Senate in November.

Brown, a native of Arkansas, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and earned a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and retired as a captain from the Army. He served in the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, as an Airborne Ranger-qualified infantry officer.

As a high school senior more than 20 years ago, Brown said the attack on Sept. 11, 2001, prompted him to apply for admission to a military university, receive a degree and then serve his nation. He was commissioned an infantry officer and began additional training.

Two years later, Brown deployed with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division at Kandahar, Afghanistan. While on a mission, however, his platoon was ambushed, and his vehicle struck a roadside bomb, injuring Brown.

Brown was flown to Fort Sam Houston at San Antonio, Texas, where his three-year road to recovery began. He also met his future wife, Amy, a nurse who worked in the burn unit. After being discharged from the hospital and leaving the service, he obtained a Master’s in Business Administration. Having lived in a large metropolitan area with millions of people, the Browns and their three children decided to relocate to Reno because it was a smaller community and near lakes and mountains.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Brown said of his experience being wounded, “I was re-born when I heard the voice of my gunner scream out, ‘Sir, I’ve got you.’”

“His words gave me the miracle of hope,” Brown said. “The message of hope that I received on the battlefield is one that the National Cemetery Administration delivers every day to the families and loved ones who are left wondering if they can go on with their lives after losing a cherished person who served this country. When that day arrives, NCA is there to tell these family members and loved ones, ‘We’ve got you.’”

Upon his approval and swearing in, Cortez Masto asked Brown if he could give a status update regarding the construction timeline for the Elko National Cemetery in Nevada. She said it was an important project for veterans in the region.

Ken Gray, a retired U.S. Air Force/Nevada Air National Guard chief master sergeant, is being appointed as a senior adviser in the National Cemetery Administration. Under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the NCA honors eligible veterans, active-duty service members and eligible family members with final resting places in national shrines and with lasting tributes that commemorate their service and sacrifice to their nation.

Gray, who also served as a Nevada Assemblyman for District 39, said the White House reached out to him earlier this year about joining as senior adviser for NCA.

“I won’t know what my responsibilities are until I get back to Washington, D.C.,” he said.

When the opportunity arose for him to decide on the position, he said he couldn’t tell the president no. Since the announcement was made, Gray has resigned his Assembly seat, but he said he would like to remain involved in Nevada politics when he returns to the state.

Ken Gray

Gray said his years as an active duty airman, county commissioner and assemblyman caught someone’s attention. He also served a short time as a constituent service representative for Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei. Gray said he worked on veteran issues.

Gray’s daughters also serve in the military including one who’s an officer in the 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry, Nevada Army National Guard.

Gray said he looks forward to representing the nation’s veterans around the country and in Nevada. The NCA oversees more than 150 cemeteries around the country with one of its newest being the Elko National Cemetery in Elko County.

“We have Nevada veterans here who have never received a head stone,” Gray said. “I want to make a concerted effort to provide veterans without markings to get the headstones they deserve.”

Through his 26 years of service to the country in the U.S. Air Force, Gray achieved the highest enlisted rank attainable, Chief Master Sergeant. Upon his retirement from the military, Gray said he understands the challenges many veteran’ face, and he fully devoted himself to helping those who served our country get the support they need on a daily basis.

 During his tenure as a Lyon County commissioner, Gray said he has fought for America First ideals, keeping taxes low, protecting our Constitutional and Second Amendment rights, and standing up and supporting law enforcement. He is a life member of the National Rifle Association and a member of the Nevada Firearms Coalition.

A member of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, Gray and his family also support the Northern Nevada Humane Society, the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program and Relay for Life. He also volunteered to be one of the first uniformed responders on the ground in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Gray and his wife Kati live in Dayton. He said Kati will remain in Nevada because of her employment while he’s in Washington.