REPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)
POST: Republic of The Gambia
CANDIDATE: Richard Carlton Paschall III
Richard Carlton Paschall III, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor has served since 2016 as the Deputy Coordinator, Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism, U.S. State Department. Mr. Paschall also served as the Office Director, Office of Central African Affairs in the State Department’s African Affairs Bureau (2015-2016) and was the Bureau’s Deputy Office Director for the Office of Regional and Security Affairs (2013 – 2015). Mr. Paschall also served as the Foreign Policy Advisor to the Commander, Special Operations Command Africa (2009 – 2012). Mr. Paschall is recognized for his understanding of the complex operational and security challenges we face and for his ability to work effectively and build consensus in the inter-agency community. These qualities, coupled with his extensive experience with African issues, and as a senior management professional in the State Department, make him an excellent candidate for Ambassador to the Republic of The Gambia.
Earlier, Mr. Paschall was the Office Director of the Office of Allowances in the State Department’s Bureau of Administration, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Management, and a Senior Watch Office in the Operations Center of the Executive Secretariat of the State Department. He also served as U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq’s New Embassy and Green Zone Transition Coordinator.
Mr. Paschall earned his B.A. from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1991. He was awarded an M.S. from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resources Strategy at the National Defense University, Washington, D.C., in 2013. He speaks French and Arabic. He is the recipient of numerous notable State Department awards and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Meritorious Civilian Service Award.