Top Army commander in Europe, Africa relinquishes role

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Army Gen. Christopher Donahue on Thursday relinquished command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa in Wiesbaden, Germany, after he was unexpectedly ousted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last month.

Donahue, 56, was widely seen as a rising star in the Army and spent decades in the military special operations realm but left his most recent role after 18 months.

“I love this team, it has been the honor of a lifetime to be a part of it. I’m proud of what we built and I have absolute confidence in what you will build next,” Donahue said during a relinquishment of command ceremony.

“So, when people ask me, ‘Hey CD, what was it like to be a part of United States Army Europe and Africa?’ I only have to tell them how proud and unbelievably grateful I am to have been a part of the United States Army’s premier warfighting headquarters.”

The former Army Ranger and part of Delta Force rose to command the elite unit before becoming commander of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, aiding in evacuating allies from Kabul’s international airport during the chaotic and deadly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He is regarded as the last soldier to leave Kabul during the 2021 pullout, with the night vision photo of him stepping onto the final C-17 a defining image of the war.

Donahue will be replaced by his deputy, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, in an acting capacity until President Trump names a successor. Donahue had been nominated by former President Biden.

The Army and Pentagon have given no reason for the change, but Hegseth in the past has argued for the Defense Department to shrink the number of generals and admirals.

Donahue’s departure comes amid sweeping leadership changes at the Pentagon, with Hegseth removing or replacing at least a dozen senior leaders since last year. The U.S. military also is in the midst of assessing its footprint in Europe, as Trump has pushed to pull American troops from the continent, raising concerns among lawmakers.

“Strong leaders are not threatened by accomplished commanders. Weak ones are,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), wrote last week on the social platform X. “[Hegseth’s] paranoid micromanagement of senior military leaders and promotion lists is pure insecurity dressed up as reform. He is more interested in purging people he perceives as insufficiently loyal than empowering proven patriots who can actually lead.”

In addition to his role at U.S. Army Europe and Africa, Donahue also serves as commander of NATO’s Allied Land Forces Command in Izmir, Turkey. He will relinquish command of that on July 9.

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