Gen. Christopher Donahue, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and NATO’s Allied Land Command, is set to step down from his post on July 2, the Army confirmed Tuesday. Donahue, who served in the role for just 18 months, is the latest senior military leader to leave amid ongoing leadership changes within the Defense Department.
Donahue, a West Point graduate and career special operations officer, is widely recognized for his role during the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, where he was the last American soldier to leave the country after nearly two decades of conflict following the September 11 attacks. His final departure from Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 30, 2021, was captured in a widely circulated night vision photograph showing him boarding the last C-17 cargo plane.
Prior to his current assignment, Donahue commanded Delta Force units in Iraq and Afghanistan and led the 82nd Airborne Division from 2020 to 2022. His leadership during the Afghan evacuation earned bipartisan praise and internal recognition, with some Army officials viewing him as a potential future chief of staff or chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Donahue’s departure is occurring during a period of significant restructuring and leadership turnover initiated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Under Hegseth’s leadership, nearly two dozen senior officers have retired or stepped down early as part of an effort to reduce the number of generals in favor of a leaner, more operational force — a policy encapsulated in the slogan “less generals, more GIs.”
Sources familiar with internal Pentagon discussions indicate that Donahue’s decision was influenced by plans to downgrade the U.S. Army Europe and Africa command from a four-star to a three-star position. This restructuring would limit the command’s seniority and influence. The change coincides with increased criticism from Hegseth regarding U.S. European allies and a new Pentagon review aimed at assessing the role of American forces in Europe. Hegseth recently told NATO partners that the review is “designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading,” suggesting some countries may be deemed less effective in meeting collective defense responsibilities.
Donahue’s deputy, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, will assume command duties temporarily following Donahue’s departure. The Pentagon has not publicly commented on the reasons behind the leadership change.
The decision comes amid renewed scrutiny of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, which Hegseth ordered to be reexamined in May despite multiple prior investigations conducted by various government agencies and congressional committees. The motivations and objectives of this latest review remain uncertain.
As the Army navigates this transition, Donahue’s exit highlights broader tensions within military leadership as the Pentagon seeks to realign its command structure and strategic priorities in response to evolving global challenges.