Iconic Leader of Afghan Withdrawal, Gen. Donahue, Set for Four-Star Promotion

Renowned for his symbolic position as the last American soldier to depart Afghanistan in 2021, Gen. Christopher T. Donahue has been nominated for commander of U.S. Army Europe-Africa and four-star general. Donahue's candidacy was added by the Pentagon to a list of general officer promotions published Friday pending Senate approval.

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Photographs of Donahue boarding the last C-17 aircraft at Kabul airport captured his departure from Afghanistan, therefore capturing the end of America's 20-year military presence in that nation. David Cotter, director of military history at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, pointed out that his choice to be the last soldier to go followed Army custom in leaders giving their men's safety top priority.

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Donahue, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, has had a remarkable career, mostly in special operations. In the 75th Ranger Regiment, he was a rifle company commander; at the Pentagon, he assumed essential responsibilities, including Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His tenure included the Joint Special Operations Command, which supervised elite formations, including Delta Force.

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With five Bronze Stars and two with "V" devices for valor, Donahue has operational experience from eighteen deployments. Among significant turning points were his tenure as commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division and the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty, renaming the facility from Fort Bragg.

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Based in Wiesbaden, Germany, Donahue will supervise 37,000 troops spanning 104 nations at U.S. Army Europe-Africa, emphasizing large-scale operations, especially in regard to the continuing conflict in Ukraine. Reflecting Donahue's excellent leadership quality and readiness for the challenges ahead, the command combines Army operations from northern Europe to Africa.

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