Gen Christopher Donahue, the commanding general of US Army Europe and Africa and commander of NATO's Allied Land Command, will relinquish his command on 2 July, the Army confirmed late Tuesday. He is stepping down after just 18 months in the role, making him the latest in a series of nearly two dozen top military leaders to retire or depart early under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has sought to reduce the number of senior officers with the mantra "less generals, more GIs."
Donahue's Legacy and the Afghanistan Withdrawal
Donahue, a West Point graduate and career special operations commander, previously led Delta Force units in Iraq and Afghanistan before commanding the 82nd Airborne Division from July 2020 to March 2022. During that period, he oversaw security at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. On 30 August 2021, he became the last US soldier to leave the country, an event captured in an iconic photo taken through night vision goggles showing him boarding the final C-17 cargo plane departing Afghanistan.
Donahue's leadership during the evacuation drew bipartisan praise, and he was widely seen within the Army as a top officer who could have led the service or been chosen as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Political Context and Pentagon Review
Hegseth and former President Donald Trump have frequently criticized the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was set in motion by a treaty negotiated with the Taliban by the Trump administration. Last May, Hegseth ordered a new Pentagon review of the withdrawal, despite multiple previous reviews by the Pentagon, US Central Command, the State Department, and Congress that involved hundreds of interviews and studies of videos, photographs, and other data. It remains unclear what new information the review seeks.
Command Restructuring and European Focus
An Army official speaking on condition of anonymity told the Associated Press that Donahue's departure comes as the Army discusses downgrading US Army Europe and Africa from a four-star to a three-star command. This move aligns with ongoing criticism from Hegseth about European allies. Last week, Hegseth told NATO allies he would conduct a six-month Pentagon review of American forces in Europe, "designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe." He added, "It's a review that some countries will fail and others will pass with flying colors."
Maj Gen Christopher Norrie, Donahue's deputy, will perform his duties in the interim. The Pentagon did not immediately comment on the news, which was first reported by the Atlantic.
