The Pentagon is losing another senior military leader as Gen. Christopher Donahue prepares to retire from the Army after leading U.S. Army forces in Europe and Africa.
Donahue, who also serves as commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command, will step down July 2 after approximately 18 months in the role, Fox News confirmed.
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The Army said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, Donahue’s deputy, will assume command responsibilities following his departure.
According to Fox News, Donahue submitted his retirement paperwork at the request of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
His departure makes him the latest senior military leader to leave the Pentagon as Hegseth continues an effort to reduce the number of top-ranking officers while shifting additional resources toward enlisted service members.
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“The Army thanks Gen. Donahue for his leadership of U.S. Army Europe and Africa,” the Army said in a statement.
Donahue is widely recognized as the final American service member to leave Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021.
A widely circulated night-vision photograph captured him boarding a C-17 transport aircraft moments before the final American departure from Hamid Karzai International Airport.
At the time, Donahue commanded the 82nd Airborne Division and oversaw security operations at the airport during the evacuation.
The ISIS-K suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, which killed 13 U.S. service members and roughly 170 Afghan civilians, occurred in an area secured by Marine forces rather than troops under Donahue’s direct command.
Although the Biden administration faced intense criticism over the withdrawal, Donahue received bipartisan praise for overseeing an evacuation that airlifted approximately 124,000 people from Afghanistan.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized former President Joe Biden’s handling of the withdrawal.
In May, Hegseth ordered a new review of the Afghanistan evacuation despite previous investigations conducted by the Pentagon, U.S. Central Command, the State Department and Congress.
A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Donahue built much of his career in Army special operations.
He commanded Delta Force units in both Iraq and Afghanistan before taking command of the 82nd Airborne Division from July 2020 through March 2022.
Then-President Biden nominated Donahue to lead U.S. Army Europe and Africa in December 2024.
During his tenure in Europe, Donahue helped coordinate military assistance to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.
Officials told Fox News that his work supporting Ukraine made him one of the Army’s foremost experts on drone warfare.
Within military circles, Donahue was widely viewed as one of the Army’s most experienced combat commanders and was considered a potential future chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to The Associated Press.
His retirement comes as Army leaders reportedly consider reducing U.S. Army Europe and Africa from a four-star command to a three-star command.
The move also follows Hegseth’s announcement last week that the Pentagon will conduct a six-month review of America’s military posture across Europe.
“This will be a real review,” Hegseth said during a meeting with NATO officials in Brussels.
“It will be designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe.”
“It’s a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colors,” he added.
The Pentagon and the Army did not immediately comment beyond the Army’s statement acknowledging Donahue’s service.
The Atlantic first reported Donahue’s planned departure.
Because Donahue has not served at the four-star rank for the three years generally required under federal law, he will need a presidential waiver to retire with full four-star benefits.
His retirement marks another significant leadership change as the Pentagon continues reshaping its senior ranks under the Trump administration.
This also comes as the U.S. is still engaged in a conflict with Iran.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
