Gen. Christopher Donahue relinquishes command of US Army Europe and Africa

U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Donahue relinquished command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa in Wiesbaden, Germany, Thursday after an unexpectedly brief 18 months in the role.

The Army has not given a reason for the leadership change. Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie will serve as acting commander until Donahue’s successor is nominated by the Senate and confirmed by the president, according to the Army.

“I love this team — it has been the honor of a lifetime to be a part of it. I’m proud of what we built and I have absolute confidence in what you will build next,” Donahue said. “So, when people ask me, ‘Hey CD, what was it like to be a part of United States Army Europe and Africa?’ I only have to tell them how proud and unbelievably grateful I am to have been a part of the United States Army’s premier warfighting headquarters.”

The West Point graduate previously led the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division. In 2021, he oversaw the U.S.’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

A night vision photo of the general stepping onto the final C-17 out of Kabul became an emblematic image of the decades-long war.

Donahue’s departure comes amid sweeping leadership changes at the Pentagon. Since assuming office, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed or replaced at least a dozen senior leaders.

Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

美国陆军上将克里斯托弗·多纳休周四在德国威斯巴登卸任美国陆军欧洲和非洲司令部司令一职，他在该职位上的任期出乎意料地短暂，仅为18个月。

陆军方面并未说明此次领导层变动的原因。据陆军方面称，克里斯托弗·诺里少将将担任代理司令，直至参议院提名并经总统确认唐纳休的继任者为止。

“我热爱这支团队——能成为其中的一员是我毕生的荣幸。我为我们共同取得的成就感到自豪，也对你们未来的成就充满信心，”多纳休说道。“所以，当人们问我，‘嘿，CD，在美国陆军欧洲和非洲司令部工作是什么感觉？’我只需要告诉他们，我多么自豪，多么感激自己曾是美国陆军首屈一指的作战司令部的一员。”

这位西点军校毕业生此前曾领导第十八空降军和第八十二空降师。2021年，他负责指挥美军从阿富汗撤军。

一张将军登上最后一架离开喀布尔的 C-17 运输机的夜视照片，成为了这场持续数十年的战争的标志性画面。

多纳休的离职正值五角大楼领导层大换血之际。自国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯上任以来，他已经撤换了至少十几位高级领导人。

伊芙·桑普森是一名记者，也是一名前陆军军官。她曾报道过世界各地的冲突，为《纽约时报》、《华盛顿邮报》和美联社撰稿。