A highly respected four-star Army general, Gen. Christopher Donahue, is relinquishing command of US Army Europe and Africa on July 2. This decision comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reviews US support for NATO allies.
Background
Gen. Donahue has had a distinguished career, commanding the Army’s elite Delta Force and serving in various special operations units. He has also commanded the 82nd Airborne Division and the 18th Airborne Corps out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Donahue’s exit from the command coincides with the planned decision to lower the required rank for its chief from a four-star general to a three-star general. Additionally, Hegseth’s office has been critical of Donahue, with some sources suggesting that Donahue was unfairly labeled as an acolyte of retired Gen. Mark Milley.
Implications
The transition has been anticipated for roughly a year and comes amid several other changes to the US military’s footprint in Europe. The US has suggested that European countries should take primary responsibility for the defense of the continent.
In May, two US deployments to Europe were abruptly cancelled by Hegseth following criticism by President Trump about support from European allies. The move received harsh backlash from members of Congress from both parties.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
