According to a report from the Daily Mail, one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent Army generals has abruptly stepped down from his leadership role as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth advances plans to restructure senior military commands and reduce the authority of key positions.
General Chris Donahue, 56, is retiring as commander of U.S. Army operations in Europe and Africa, with the announcement anticipated as early as Wednesday. A highly decorated officer with extensive combat experience, including command of the elite Delta Force and the storied 82nd Airborne Division, Donahue had been viewed within the Army as a rising star and potential future Chief of Staff.
His exit follows Hegseth’s reported intention to downgrade the four-star command to a three-star position, according to sources. Such a demotion effectively forces early retirement for officers whose rank no longer matches available billets, stripping the role of its highest-level prestige and influence.
Donahue earned widespread recognition as the last American service member to depart Afghanistan during the 2021 withdrawal. A memorable night-vision photograph captured him boarding a C-17 transport aircraft, symbolizing the end of that long conflict.
This development forms part of a larger pattern under Hegseth aimed at sidelining senior Pentagon officials. The shake-up has accelerated in recent weeks following U.S. military engagements with Iran, where questions lingered over control of the Strait of Hormuz despite assertions of American superiority.
Critics have described the moves as an effort to remove officers perceived as insufficiently aligned, while supporters view them as necessary reforms to address what they call a bloated senior officer corps. Detractors, however, caution that losing battle-tested leaders could weaken command structures during a period of global instability.
Earlier actions included the removal of Army Chief of Staff General Randy George in April amid the Iran conflict, alongside other high-ranking figures such as the Army’s chief of chaplains and the head of its Transformation and Training Command.
These followed the earlier ousting of more than a dozen generals and admirals, including Joint Chiefs Chairman General C.Q. Brown and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti.
Lieutenant General Kevin Admiral is expected to be nominated to succeed Donahue in the restructured role.
The general’s departure coincides with broader Pentagon initiatives to scale back U.S. military commitments in Europe. Last week, officials announced a six-month review of troop levels and assets in the region. “The goal, according to Hegseth, is aimed at shifting more of the continent’s defense onto European allies,” the reporting noted.
Alongside personnel adjustments, the review will examine reductions in fighter jets, drones, warships, and submarines forward-deployed for potential crises.
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