General Christopher Donahue, the commander of US Army forces in Europe and Africa and the officer known as the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan in 2021, will step down from his post on July 2 after just 18 months in the role, the Army confirmed on Tuesday.Donahue’s departure makes him one of nearly two dozen senior military leaders to retire or leave their positions early under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has sought to reduce the number of top-ranking officers under the banner of “less generals, more GIs.”An Army official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of internal discussions, told The Associated Press that Donahue’s departure comes as the Army considers downgrading US Army Europe and Africa from a four-star to a three-star command.The potential move comes amid ongoing criticism of European allies by US defence secretary Pete Hegseth.A graduate of the United States Military Academy and a career special operations officer, Donahue commanded Delta Force units in Iraq and Afghanistan before leading the 82nd Airborne Division from July 2020 to March 2022.During that time, he was tasked with helping restore security at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport amid the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. On August 30, 2021, Donahue became the last US service member to leave the country after nearly two decades of war that followed the September 11, 2001, attacks.The moment was captured in a widely circulated night-vision image showing Donahue boarding the final C-17 cargo aircraft departing Afghanistan.Hegseth and US president Donald Trump have repeatedly criticized the withdrawal, which followed an agreement negotiated with the Taliban during Trump’s first term in office.Despite the challenges of the Afghanistan evacuation, Donahue’s leadership during the operation earned praise from both Republicans and Democrats.Within the Army, he was widely regarded as one of the service’s most respected officers and was viewed as a potential candidate to serve as Army chief of staff or chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
