Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, a career special operations veteran recognized as the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan, has been nominated for a fourth star and to lead the U.S. Army in Europe. His nomination was included in a list of recommended general officer promotions released by the Pentagon on November 15, 2023. If confirmed by the Senate, Donahue could take command in the coming weeks or months.
Donahue has had a distinguished career in the special operations community. He was appointed commander of the Army Infantry School and its Soldier Lethality Cross Functional Team in 2017. Following that role, he served as the deputy director for special operations and counterterrorism for the Joint Chiefs of Staff before taking command of the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan in May 2019.
In July 2020, he transitioned to command the 82nd Airborne Division and subsequently took command of the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, in March 2022. The XVIII Airborne Corps is notable for housing highly deployed operational units, including the 10th Mountain Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, and 3rd Infantry Division.
Despite his significant military accomplishments, Donahue is perhaps best known for a photograph taken on August 30, 2021. The image captures him boarding a C-17 aircraft at Karzai International Airport, fully equipped with his M4 carbine, marking the end of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Donahue’s military career has largely been shaped by the Global War on Terror. He began his service during the Cold War, commissioning as a second lieutenant in the infantry in 1992 after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. His initial assignments included serving as a platoon leader in Korea and at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and Fort Benning, Georgia.
His career took a pivotal turn after the September 11 attacks when he joined Army Special Operations Command, where he completed 18 overseas deployments and served with Delta Force. Donahue has stated, “I have deployed to combat at every rank, from captain to two-star general.”
If confirmed, Donahue will oversee U.S. Army operations and resources in Europe, aligning with ongoing American support for NATO allies and Ukraine. His nomination for promotion also includes recommendations for 29 Army colonels for promotion to brigadier general, as well as Brig. Gen. Eugene Cox, who is recommended for promotion to major general.
As of now, Lt. Gen. Donahue’s staff has not issued a statement regarding the nomination.
Todd South, the author of the report, has covered military issues for various publications since 2004 and is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War, recognized as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2014 for his work on witness intimidation.
