Departure of trailblazing US Army in Europe and Africa chief sparks sharp criticism of Hegseth

Backlash is growing over the looming retirement of a top Army general, with a chorus of his backers questioning the sidelining of a leader they consider instrumental in preparing the military for a new era of warfare.

Gen. Christopher Donahue is slated to relinquish command Thursday of U.S. Army Europe and Africa ahead of his retirement later this summer.

Supporters say he is being forced out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has not publicly explained the move, and reports Wednesday that the four-star general had submitted his retirement papers drew sharp reactions from lawmakers and retired military leaders.

“This is yet another unforced error from a Secretary leading the Pentagon with bro-culture bravado rather than restraint, humility and careful stewardship of the finest fighting force in the world,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wrote on X.

Donahue’s departure is the latest in a string of high-profile leadership changes in the upper ranks of the military, including the abrupt firing of former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George earlier this year.

Such moves are part of a broader effort by Hegseth to trim the overall number of general officers while following through on his stated priority of ensuring that leadership decisions are based on merit rather than diversity.

When asked Wednesday about the circumstances surrounding Donahue’s retirement, the Defense Department declined to comment and referred questions to the Army. The Army issued a brief statement to reporters thanking Donahue for his service.

Critics have complained that Hegseth hasn’t explained or justified his personnel moves. Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, who works at the same network Hegseth once did, was among those who praised Donahue.

“Huge loss for our country … like losing Tom Brady in prime of career,” Kilmeade said on X.

In January, Kilmeade visited USAREUR-AF headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he did a segment on Donahue’s command and its efforts to develop new combat tactics that better use drones and artificial intelligence.

USAREUR-AF has been at the forefront of those efforts, with Donahue’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Line concept for NATO serving as a blueprint for how to manage networks, data and drones to get an edge.

At one point during the visit, Kilmeade called President Donald Trump and introduced Donahue as his soldiers gathered around.

“You’re doing a fantastic job. Your reputation is great,” Trump said.

Part of the strong reaction stems from the standout nature of Donahue’s career trajectory.

A West Point graduate and son of a former NFL player, Donahue spent most of his career in the secretive special operations community, leading elite units such as Delta Force.

Such jobs carry a mystique in military circles and are not the typical pathway to becoming a four-star general.

In Donahue’s case, that has translated into a career spent on nearly constant deployment, giving him the kind of combat bona fides few senior officers can match.

Given the depth of his resume, Donahue was viewed by supporters as a natural fit for the Army’s top job after George’s removal.

But he also has been associated with the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan in August 2021 and has become a target for critics of the operation.

At the time, Donahue was commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and was ordered into Kabul after the city had already fallen into Taliban hands.

On social media this week, Donahue backers and critics have argued over the Afghanistan withdrawal and what went wrong. The Pentagon is wrapping up a new investigation into the pullout, with results expected to be released soon.

For some, the frustration over the evacuation, which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, demands more accountability within the senior ranks.

But backers of Donahue have argued that trying to pin the events on him and the 82nd Airborne is like blaming the fire department for responding to a fire started by others.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the Army in Europe, called Donahue the “best soldier in the Army today” in a statement on X.

“Kremlin and terrorist organizations will be relieved to know that he will soon be gone,” Hodges said.

Another Donahue supporter, retired Adm. William McRaven, went further and said in an essay in The Atlantic that Hegseth owes the public an explanation for the rationale behind his personnel decisions at the top levels of the military.

McRaven is a former head of U.S. Special Operations Command and was the architect of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

“What is particularly concerning about these firings is the effect these dismissals will have on the officer ranks,” McRaven wrote.

He added that they “raise a real risk that senior officers will be overly cautious about providing their best advice and, therefore, that the chance of military miscalculation will grow dramatically.”