The unexpected departure makes Donahue the latest senior military leader to leave his position during a broader Pentagon restructuring effort led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has repeatedly called for reducing the number of senior officers while expanding resources devoted to frontline troops.

According to an Army statement, Donahue will relinquish command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa as well as NATO’s Allied Land Command. His deputy, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, will assume his responsibilities on an interim basis.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Donahue spent much of his career in special operations forces, including command assignments with Delta Force in Iraq and Afghanistan. He later led the 82nd Airborne Division from 2020 to 2022.

Donahue became internationally known during the final stages of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. As commander responsible for security operations at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, he oversaw the evacuation effort that ended nearly two decades of American military involvement in the country.

On Aug. 30, 2021, Donahue boarded the final U.S. military aircraft departing Afghanistan, becoming the last American service member to leave the country. Images of the general walking toward a C-17 transport aircraft under night-vision conditions became one of the defining photographs of the withdrawal.

The Afghanistan exit has remained a politically contentious issue in Washington. President Donald Trump and Hegseth have repeatedly criticized the withdrawal, despite the operation having originated from an agreement negotiated between the Taliban and the first Trump administration.

Last month, Hegseth ordered a fresh Pentagon review of the withdrawal. The move came after multiple previous examinations conducted by the Department of Defense, U.S. Central Command, the State Department and congressional committees, which collectively reviewed extensive operational records, interviews and video evidence.

Despite criticism surrounding the evacuation, Donahue earned praise from military officials and lawmakers from both major political parties for his handling of the operation. Within defense circles, he had been viewed as a potential future Army chief of staff or candidate for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

His departure also comes as the Army evaluates a possible restructuring of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. According to an Army official familiar with internal discussions, the command could be downgraded from a four-star headquarters to a three-star command as part of broader force adjustments.

The review coincides with renewed Pentagon scrutiny of America’s military posture in Europe and growing calls from U.S. officials for European allies to assume greater responsibility for regional defense.

Speaking to NATO allies last week, Hegseth said the Pentagon would conduct a six-month assessment of U.S. force deployments in Europe to determine whether alliance members are moving toward taking primary responsibility for the continent’s security.

The Pentagon has not publicly commented on the reasons behind Donahue’s departure.