Army general Donahue to step down amid Pentagon shake-up

Gen. Christopher T. Donahue will relinquish command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa on July 2, 2026, ending an 18-month tenure that was supposed to last three years. Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie will perform the duties of commanding general as Donahue steps aside from one of the Army’s most visible jobs.

Donahue, a West Point graduate and former Delta Force commander, became a national figure when he was the last U.S. service member to leave Afghanistan during the August 2021 withdrawal. He later led the 82nd Airborne Division and was long viewed inside the Army as a potential future chief of staff.

The move comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushes to reshape senior Pentagon leadership and reduce the number of general officers. U.S. Army Europe and Africa will be downgraded from a four-star to a three-star billet, a change with direct consequences for an officer at Donahue’s level. Officials also sought a waiver so Donahue could retire at four-star rank because he had not completed three years in grade.

Donahue and Hegseth met only once in person, in February 2025, despite Donahue’s role overseeing U.S. and NATO efforts in Europe. In that post, he helped support Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion, worked on NATO’s eastern flank and pushed drone and counter-drone modernization efforts, including Project Flytrap. Brett McGurk said Donahue was among the people most responsible for the defeat of ISIS, while retired Army Gen. Tony Thomas called him a generational leader.