WASHINGTON—Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, today welcomed President Trump’s nomination of Darrell Owens as the U.S. ambassador to the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization, made up of 57 participating states in Europe, Eurasia, Central Asia, and North America. The organization was founded on the principles of comprehensive security laid out in the Helsinki Accords, which assert that military security is inextricably linked to human rights, democratic governance, and economic security.
“As Russia’s genocidal war on Ukraine enters its fifth year and authoritarian powers test transatlantic solidarity and resolve, the United States needs strong and principled representation at the OSCE. I am confident that Darrell Owens will represent the American people well as our ambassador to the OSCE, engaging with allies and adversaries alike in pursuit of freedom, security, and prosperity across the region. I urge my Senate colleagues to move swiftly on this nomination,” Senator Wicker said.
Darrell Owens currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Previously, Mr. Owens was the director of government relations at America’s Warrior Partnership. He is a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve and has served in South Korea, Poland, and Germany. Most recently, he served overseas as the Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor and Congressional Liaison for U.S. Army Europe and Africa. He previously served on Capitol Hill for nearly 14 years, including as National Security Advisor to Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-15), focusing on military, foreign affairs, and veterans issues. He is a graduate of the Air Force Air Command & Staff College and the U.S. Army War College.
###
