Ggeneral Chris “CD” Donahue he was the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan during the violent withdrawal of 2021. As the head of the Army Forces in Europe and Africa, he has helped strengthen Ukraine in its fight to stop the Russian invasion. Now Donahue has become the latest casualty in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s move to remove senior military officials.
Donahue’s sudden departure, after just 18 months in his position, is another sign of the turmoil. He was widely seen as one of the Army’s rising stars—a prominent Delta Force leader who was considered a prime candidate for Chief of Staff or even chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—having distinguished himself in the war of the past two decades. But Hegseth has wanted to fire anyone who doesn’t fit his idea of a military leader, including those involved in the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Kabul under President Biden—no matter how well they did there. Donahue is expected to announce as soon as tomorrow that he will step down later this summer, two people familiar with the matter told us.
A Ranger and Special Operations commander, Donahue served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, climbing the ranks during two decades of the war on terror. As the US military shifted its focus from hunting down terrorist networks to preparing for conflict against technologically advanced adversaries, Donahue did the same. In recent years, he took a leading role in Europe as the Pentagon adapted lessons from Ukraine and other modern battlefields. His departure continues the departure of a generation of battle-tested leaders during Hegseth’s presence to recreate the top ranks of the army under the banner of “fewer generals, more GIs.” Once Donahue leaves, the military is also expected to downgrade US Forces Europe and Africa from a four-star command to a three-star command, as part of the military’s efforts to unify the command. Whether Donahue’s departure would coincide with a demotion was not immediately clear. President Trump and Hegseth are to review military footprints in Europe, pushing local governments to bear the burden of defense and amid friction over the reluctance of other NATO members to join the war in Iran. A spokesman for Hegseth referred questions to the Army, which declined to comment.
On the night of August 30, 2021, Donahue appeared in a dark state of night vision. picture boarding the last US military plane to leave Kabul, at 11:59 p.m., just before the deadline.
Hegseth, who rose to the rank of major in the Army National Guard following deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, has repeatedly criticized those associated with the withdrawal from Afghanistan and is now overseeing the investigation. The US withdrawal was followed by the death of 13 soldiers in a suicide attack at the Abbey Gate of Kabul airport and the return of Taliban rule.
Donahue was appointed to help reform the way the Army fights wars. He was leading the service’s efforts to take lessons from Ukraine and apply them to future conflicts. His departure follows that of General Randy George, the head of the Army that Hegseth forced out this spring. George had been tasked with refitting vital air defense weapons, which had been badly damaged by the Iran war.
Donahue would be at least the sixth three- or four-star Army general to leave unexpectedly, out of about 60 generals in the service who hold those ranks. Among them is General James Mingus, former vice chief of staff. “It’s interesting that someone who says he wants to bring back the warrior culture is chasing away the senior warriors in the ranks of the Army,” one retired Army officer told us. “This is not a war of awakening. This is a war against warriors.”
Donahue, who is 56 years old, is a native of Pennsylvania and a graduate of West Point. He was on Capitol Hill on 9/11 with Richard Myers, who was then vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He went on to command the 82nd Airborne Division, among other senior posts.
The departures have been so frequent—and sudden—that Senate Democrats added a line in the Pentagon’s latest budget proposal requiring congressional notification before an officer’s promotion is delayed or blocked. Donahue’s deputy, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, will serve as acting commander when Donahue leaves, people familiar with the matter told us. Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral, who is expected to be the administration’s nominee to replace Donahue, they said, has not yet been nominated.
