Top army general who was last US soldier to leave Afghanistan abruptly steps down
Summary
General Christopher Donahue, the last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan in 2021, is stepping down from his command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa after 18 months. His deputy will take over temporarily as the Army considers lowering the rank needed to lead this command amid ongoing Pentagon changes.Key Facts
- Gen. Christopher Donahue led U.S. Army forces in Europe and Africa and also commanded NATO’s Allied Land Command.
- Donahue was the last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, ending nearly 20 years of war.
- He plans to step down from his post on July 2, after less than two years in the role.
- His deputy, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, will temporarily take over leadership duties.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is making changes to reduce the number of top generals and reshape military leadership.
- The Army is discussing changing U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s command rank from four-star to three-star general.
- Hegseth has criticized some NATO allies and is conducting a review to focus more on Europe taking primary defense responsibility.
- Donahue was widely respected and seen as a potential future leader of the entire Army or Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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