The Army confirmed yesterday that Gen. Christopher Donahue, the commander of US Army Europe, is leaving his post on July 2 after only 18 months on the job. “Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, deputy commander, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, will perform the duties of the commanding general,” an Army spokeswoman confirmed in a statement to news media. “The Army thanks Gen. Donahue for his leadership of U.S. Army Europe and Africa.”
No reason has been reported for Donahue’s departure, but he is widely known for being the last American soldier to have left Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, an operation of which the Trump administration has been highly critical. It also comes in the wake of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s firing of other senior officers, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, two months ago. The dismissal will send another shockwave across the US military, the Financial Times reported. Several former top military officers told the FT that Hegseth had created a climate of fear that was affecting the whole military, up to the top brass. Donahue had earned the ire of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, multiple sources told CBS News, and two U.S. officials have confirmed to CBS News that the pair only met once in person, in February 2025.
