Donahue’s early exit signals Hegseth’s reshuffling drive

Donahue’s early – Gen. Christopher Donahue is set to relinquish command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and NATO’s Allied Land Command, leaving mid-assignment after taking over in December 2024. His departure comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues a wide reshaping of

Gen. Christopher Donahue was supposed to spend the rest of the typically three-year stretch in charge of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Instead, the clock has been cut short.

The Army confirmed that Donahue will relinquish command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, making him the latest senior military leader to depart under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The announcement lands partway through Donahue’s assignment, after he took over in December 2024.

Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith confirmed the departure and said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, deputy commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, will assume the duties on an interim basis. The Army did not provide a reason for the abrupt leadership change.

Donahue also commands NATO’s Allied Land Command. a role he is scheduled to relinquish during a July 9 ceremony in Turkey. according to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe spokesperson Col. Martin O’Donnell. British Lt. Gen. Jez Bennett will serve as acting commander until another American officer is assigned.

The timing is raising eyebrows inside and outside the chain of command. Multiple sources told CBS News that Donahue had fallen out of favor with Hegseth. Two U.S. officials said Hegseth and Donahue met in person only once, in February 2025. Donahue declined to comment through a spokesperson.

Donahue’s reputation long preceded the post. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and has built a military career spanning more than two decades. A West Point graduate and former Delta Force commander, he also previously commanded the 82nd Airborne Division. He became widely known as the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan in August 2021. when a Pentagon photograph showing him boarding the final C-17 departing Kabul became one of the defining images of America’s longest war.

The following year, as Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Donahue was among the first senior U.S. officers in Europe to assist Ukrainian forces. He played a key role advising Kyiv during the war’s opening phase. Within the Army. he has long been regarded as one of its top operational leaders. with an extensive résumé that includes command of Delta Force and the 82nd Airborne and extensive combat experience accumulated over two decades.

Brett McGurk. speaking to CBS News. said. “There are few people more responsible for the defeat of ISIS than Chris Donahue. He is among the most consequential commanders of his generation.” Retired Gen. Tony Thomas, the former head of U.S. Special Operations Command, called Donahue a “generational leader.”.

Inside the dispute, the facts described by multiple sources sketch a picture of friction—though not always personal. Multiple sources told CNN that tensions had developed between Hegseth’s office and Donahue’s command. though not necessarily between the two men personally. One source said even positive publicity surrounding Army operations in Europe “was not well received.” Another source said some officials unfairly viewed Donahue as aligned with retired Gen. Mark Milley, who remains a frequent target of criticism from Donald Trump’s allies and conservative media. That source added that Donahue retains substantial support among many within MAGA circles, particularly veterans from the special operations community.

Some conservatives and officials close to Hegseth reportedly also blamed Donahue for the Afghanistan withdrawal. pointing to the fact that he commanded the 82nd Airborne during the evacuation. One source familiar with the matter compared that criticism to “blaming the fire department for showing up to the fire.”.

The broader push appears to include both personnel decisions and structural shifts. The Washington Post reported that Hegseth blocked internal Army and congressional efforts to extend Donahue’s career.

Donahue’s exit is also tied to a downgrade planned for the top job he currently holds. His departure coincides with plans to downgrade the command from a four-star billet to a three-star position as part of Hegseth’s broader effort to reduce the number of senior generals across the military. according to a U.S. official. Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral. commander of III Armored Corps. is expected to be nominated as Donahue’s successor. though no final decision has been made. Any permanent replacement will require Senate confirmation.

The change has wider ripple effects beyond one office. The Pentagon is also considering shutting down Security Assistance Group-Ukraine. the three-star command established in 2022 to coordinate military support for Kyiv. While the command’s responsibilities would continue under other organizations, approximately 300 personnel could be reassigned.

For some observers, Donahue’s removal fits a pattern of senior leadership churn without a clear public explanation. A retired U.S. general. speaking anonymously. described Donahue’s departure as “yet another example of Secretary Hegseth forcing out senior officers without any explanation of cause.” Ed Arnold. a senior associate fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute. told Newsweek that Donahue “had more to give to the Army” and said he had been “removed early.” A British military official told Newsweek that Donahue was “universally regarded very highly across the British Army.” The official added that his close relationship with British Army Chief Gen. Sir Roly Walker made his departure especially significant for transatlantic military cooperation.

The sequence matters because it lands while the Defense Department is undergoing its own shake-up at the very top. Since Trump returned to office in January 2025. Pete Hegseth has fired or forced out 24 generals and senior commanders. according to a tally by The Guardian. Roughly 60 percent of those removed have been Black or women. prompting critics to argue that the dismissals reflect the administration’s broader campaign against diversity. equity and inclusion initiatives.

Those ousted include Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., former Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan.

The reshaping has continued into 2026, with Hegseth also dismissing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, Gen. David Hodne, head of Army Transformation and Training Command and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., the Army’s chief of chaplains. Those removals followed the departures of Col. Dave Butler, Lt. Gen. Joe McGee and Adm. Alvin Holsey, who reportedly resigned as head of U.S. Southern Command at Hegseth’s request.

Later removals included Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Rear Adm. Milton Sands, who led Naval Special Warfare Command and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin.

The last comparable upheaval in senior military leadership occurred in 1949 during the “Revolt of the Admirals,” when Defense Secretary Louis Johnson removed several senior Navy leaders amid disputes over military strategy.

For Donahue, the end of command is arriving before the assignment window would normally close. On a typically three-year timetable. he is leaving halfway through. after taking over in December 2024 and preparing to turn over U.S. Army Europe and Africa to Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie on an interim basis. He will also step aside from NATO’s Allied Land Command during a July 9 ceremony in Turkey, with British Lt. Gen. Jez Bennett set to hold the line until another American officer is assigned.

Taken together, the leadership changes are already reshaping both command structure and perception—especially in Europe and across NATO—at a moment when the Defense Department is accelerating its own broader reorganization of top ranks.

Christopher Donahue U.S. Army Europe and Africa NATO Allied Land Command Pete Hegseth Cynthia O. Smith Christopher Norrie Jez Bennett Kevin Admiral Security Assistance Group-Ukraine NATO Army leadership reshuffle Afghanistan withdrawal Delta Force 82nd Airborne