Last Soldier to Depart Afghanistan Named as New Army Europe Leader

Key Takeaways

Army Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue confirmed as the new commander of U.S. Army Europe.
His promotion, blocked for several weeks, was resolved with a unanimous Senate vote.
Donahue is recognized for overseeing the final U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Confirmation of Chris Donahue

The Senate has confirmed Army Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue as the next commander of U.S. Army Europe, promoting him to a four-star rank and concluding weeks of controversy surrounding his advancement. After being blocked for unspecified reasons for several weeks, Donahue received a unanimous voice vote in the Senate on Monday.

Reports indicated that Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., was responsible for the hold on Donahue’s nomination. However, Mullin’s office has not publicly confirmed this information nor provided any comments after Monday’s vote.

Donahue is currently the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps stationed at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. He gained significant recognition for his role in the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021. As commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, he directed a rapid-response operation to stabilize Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul and oversaw U.S. military activities during the last two weeks of the conflict. Notably, he was the last American servicemember to depart Afghanistan on August 30, boarding a C-17 aircraft at Kabul airport—a moment widely documented by the Defense Department.

Previously, numerous Republican officials, including President-elect Donald Trump, criticized the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, leading to promises of inquiries into the missteps that occurred during the final withdrawal phase. Despite these critiques, Donahue’s nomination had initially been expected to move forward without significant issues until mid-November when he became subject to a hold while the Senate expedited the approval of 984 other military promotions.

With the confirmation now finalized, Donahue is anticipated to be sworn into his new position within the coming days. His extensive military background includes decades within the special operations community, prior to taking over the Army Infantry School in 2017. Following that role, he served as deputy director for special operations and counterterrorism on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commanded the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan starting in May 2019.

In July 2020, Donahue was appointed as the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, and he transitioned to command the XVIII Airborne Corps in March 2022. With his new role, he is expected to provide leadership to U.S. Army forces stationed in Europe, particularly during a period marked by geopolitical tensions and military readiness challenges.

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