Donald L. “Larry” Sampler, Jr

Donald “Larry” Sampler serves as senior deputy assistant to the administrator in the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs working on Afghanistan and management. He brings his considerable experience in COIN from both military and civilian perspectives.

From August 2009 through early 2011, Sampler was vice president and director of the Communities in Transition Division of Creative Associates International. 

Sampler has substantial other experience in conflict and post-conflict environments working for USAID, the U.S. Department of State, the Institute for Defense Analyses, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.  For his work with the Afghan Constitutional Loya Jirga and the Afghan Emergency Loya Jirga in 2002, President Karzai awarded him the Constitutional medal. 

Sampler is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, with undergraduate studies in Physics and Electrical Engineering. His graduate studies there were in the Technology and Science Policy Program and focused on the role of technology in quality-of-life improvements for developing nations. He has a graduate degree in Diplomacy from Norwich University.

Sampler served in the special operations community of the US Army (and later the US Army Reserves) attached to 5^th, 10^th, and 11^th Special Forces Groups, 96^th Civil Affairs Battalion, & 360^thCivil Affairs Brigade.