Admiral Sam Paparo
Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
Samuel John Paparo, Jr. was born in 1964 in Morton, Pennsylvania. He earned an undergraduate degree and was part of the ROTC program at Villanova University. He earned an M.A. from Old Dominion University, an M.S. from the Naval Postgraduate School, and has graduated from other educational opportunities afforded him by the U.S. military.
Paparo deployed to the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. Throughout his Navy career, he has held numerous commands, including for Carrier Air Wing Seven, Carrier Strike Group 10, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and the U.S. Pacific Fleet. He has commanded the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command since May 2024.
In the News…
Admiral Scott Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, spoke at the annual International Military Law and Operations Conference about the “strategic terrain” of law
Admiral Paparo said, “We are stronger when our disagreements are aired with transparency and with mutual respect and where we can find legal consensus. It means coming together with one loud, strong voice to safeguard international rules and norms while enthusiastically promoting our shared values.”
He stated, “Legal vigilance and legal diplomacy are not sidebars to deterrence. They are a centerpiece of deterrence.”
Admiral Paparo alleged that China has engaged in “lawfare” against smaller countries through territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The admiral said, “China has made the law a weapon. We must make the law a shield, a shield and a signal.”
He added, “They declare laws unilaterally and then apply them retroactively. They pressure nations to concede sovereign rights that nations lawfully possess. They use false claims of legitimacy to justify coercion. This is not the rule of law. This is the rule by law, and that distinction between law as a tool of order versus a tool of power is the fault line of our time.”
