![[aggregator] downloaded image for imported item #95250](https://newsview.top/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Gen-Christopher-Donahue-1024x576.png "Commanding general of the US Army in European and African theater is unexpectedly stepping down")
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth rattles NATO allies with speech in Brussels
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Gen.Christopher Donahue — who also leads NATO’s Allied Land Command — will relinquish his command on July 2, according to a statement from the Army.Donahue’s deputy, Maj.Gen.Christopher Norrie, will take over his duties after July 2.
Donahue submitted his retirement papers at the request of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has sought to shrink the number of generals and prioritize adding new GIs.He is the latest military leader of more than two dozen to leave or retire early under Hegseth’s leadership.
“The Army thanks Gen.Donahue for his leadership of U.S.Army Europe and Africa,�
ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF ORDERED TO RETIRE IMMEDIATELY AS HEGSETH CONTINUES PENTAGON SHAKEUP
U.S.Army Gen.Christopher Donahue arrives from Fort Bragg to the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in southeastern Poland on Feb.6, 2022.(Associated Press)
Donahue is best known as thelast U.S.soldier to leave Afghanistanin August 2021, marking the end of America’s nearly 20-year war launched after the Sept.11 attacks.The moment he stepped onto a C-17 cargo plane was captured in an iconic photo taken through night vision goggles.
At the time, he was the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and was brought in to oversee security at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the chaotic withdrawal.
The Marines, not Donahue’s forces, were in charge of securing Abbey Gate at the airport, which was attacked by a member of ISIS-K in asuicide bombingthat killed 13 U.S.service members and roughly 170 Afghan civilians.
Donahue’s leadership of the evacuation, which saw roughly 124,000 Afghan citizens airlifted from the country, drew praise from both Democrats andRepublicans, even though the broader withdrawal strategy was criticized as rushed and haphazard.
U.S.Marines keep watch during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug.18, 2021.(U.S.Marine Corps/1stLt.Mark Andries/Handout via Reuters)
HEGSETH ORDERS PENTAGON TO LAUNCH COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW INTO ‘CATASTROPHIC’ 2021 AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL
PresidentDonald Trumpattacked former President Joe Biden over this for years, and last May, Hegseth ordered a new investigation of the withdrawal following earlier probes of the operation by the Pentagon, U.S.Central Command, the State Department and Congress.
A West Point graduate and a career special operations commander, Donahue led the Delta Force units inIraqand Afghanistan.He was then picked to be the 82nd Airborne Division commander from July 2020 to March 2022, before being appointed to his current position by Biden in December 2024.
As a top commander in Europe, Donahue coordinated military aid to Ukraine after the Russian invasion in February 2022.S.Army’s preeminent expert on drone warfare.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 30, 2026.(Edgar Su/Reuters)
Within the Army, Donahue was seen as one of the most seasoned soldiers with more combat experience than most.He was also thought to be someone who had the potential to become chairman of theJoint Chiefs of Staff, according to The Associated Press.
Donahue’s departure coincides with discussions inside the Army to downgrade U.S.
This would come after Hegseth told NATO allies last week he would be leading a six-month review of American forces in Europe.
Maj.Gen.Christopher Donahue boards a C-17 cargo plane at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug.30, 2021.He was the last U.S.soldier to depart the country.(U.S.Army)
“This will be a real review.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,” he told NATO officials in Brussels.“It’s a review that some countries will fail and others will pass with flying colors.”
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The Pentagon and the Army did not immediately comment on Donahue’s exit, which was first reported byThe Atlantic.
Donahue will need a presidential waiver to retain his four-star retirement benefits, since he hasn’t had his fourth star for the requisite three years.
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