The general who became a symbol of America’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan is now stepping down from one of the military’s top posts, just a year and a half after taking the job.
Gen Christopher Donahue, who commands US Army Europe and Africa as well as NATO’s Allied Land Command, will give up his command on July 2, according to an army statement provided to the Associated Press. The Army confirmed the move late Tuesday, and it caught many by surprise given how short his tenure has been.
Part of a Bigger Pattern
Donahue isn’t leaving in isolation. He’s now one of nearly two dozen senior military leaders who have either retired early or departed their posts under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has been pushing to trim down the military’s upper ranks under the phrase “less generals, more GIs,” according to The Guardian.
In the meantime, Donahue’s deputy, Maj Gen Christopher Norrie, will step in to handle his responsibilities.
The Man Behind the Iconic Photo
Donahue’s name became known well beyond military circles back in 2021. A West Point graduate who spent years commanding special operations units, including Delta Force missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, he later took charge of the 82nd Airborne Division from July 2020 through March 2022.
It was in that role that he oversaw security at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the frantic final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. On August 30, 2021, Donahue became the last American soldier to leave the country, closing out nearly two decades of war that began after the September 11 attacks. The moment was captured in a now-famous photo, taken through night vision goggles, showing him boarding the final C-17 cargo plane out of the country.
A Withdrawal That’s Still Under Scrutiny
That chapter of the war has never really closed politically. Both Hegseth and President Trump have repeatedly criticized the withdrawal, an operation that traces back to a deal the Trump administration originally struck with the Taliban during its first term.
Last May, Hegseth ordered yet another Pentagon review of the withdrawal, even though the operation has already gone through multiple examinations by the Pentagon, U.S. Central Command, the State Department, and Congress. Those past reviews involved hundreds of interviews along with extensive analysis of video, photos, and other records, according to The Guardian. What new information this latest review is hoping to uncover remains unclear.
Despite the political controversy surrounding the withdrawal itself, Donahue’s own performance during the evacuation earned him praise from both sides of the political aisle. Within the Army, he was widely viewed as someone who could eventually rise to lead the entire service, or even become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
A Command That May Shrink in Size
An Army official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of internal discussions, said Donahue’s departure comes as the Army weighs whether to downgrade US Army Europe and Africa from a four-star command to a three-star one.
That potential downgrade lines up with Hegseth’s broader, ongoing criticism of European allies. Just last week, he told NATO members that the Pentagon will be carrying out a six-month review of American forces stationed in Europe, one he described as designed to push NATO toward a future where Europe takes primary responsibility for its own defense.
“It’s a review that some countries will fail and others will pass with flying colors,” Hegseth said.