- Gen. Christopher Donahue — the Army commander for Europe and Africa and the iconic “last U.S. soldier” out of Afghanistan in 2021 — is unexpectedly stepping down after just 18 months; his deputy will serve temporarily.
- His exit is the latest in a wave of early departures among senior officers under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s push to “thin the ranks” with “less generals, more GIs.”
- The change comes as the Pentagon reviews U.S. forces in Europe and considers downgrading the Europe/Africa command, part of broader pressure on NATO allies to take on more defense responsibility.
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