Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.
The Senate has officially confirmed Army Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue as the next commander of US Army Europe, promoting him to a four-star general after weeks of controversy surrounding his nomination.
Some shit you should know before you read: Army Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue is a seasoned military leader with over three decades of service, including 20 deployments to war zones such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. He gained national attention in 2021 as the last US servicemember to leave Afghanistan, boarding a C-17 cargo plane at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport during the chaotic withdrawal of American forces. This withdrawal, marked by a deadly suicide bombing at Abbey Gate that claimed the lives of 13 US service members, drew widespread criticism from lawmakers, including Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who held up Donahue’s promotion over concerns about accountability for the perceived failures of the exit.
What’s going on now: Despite the initial hold-up, the Senate unanimously confirmed Army Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue as the next commander of US Army Europe, granting him a promotion to four-star general. The confirmation elevates Donahue to a critical role overseeing US military forces in Europe during heightened tensions due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the need to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank.
Previous criticism from Mullin: Before voting to approve Lt. Gen. Donahue, Senator Mullin said, “Three years later, not one person has been held accountable for the disaster–not Gen. Milley, Gen. McKenzie, Gen. Donahue, U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan John Pommersheim, or anyone at the State Department. To this day, no one has testified before Congress as to who gave this directive. No one has been held accountable for the 13 brave American heroes who died at Abbey Gate, or the countless Americans who lost their lives trying to escape Kabul.”
Another view: Mark Esper, Trump’s former Defense Secretary, has defended Lt. Gen Donahue and has been advocating for his promotion. In a post on X, Esper said, “Responsibility for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 rests with the White House, not the Defense Dept, and certainly not with the uniformed leaders who faithfully executed Pres Biden’s misbegotten decisions.”
Retired Gen. Tony Thomas, a former head of US Special Operations Command, also advocated for Donahue. Last month, he said, “The finest officer I ever served with, Chris Donahue is a generational leader who is now being held up for political purposes. At the tip of the spear defending this country for over three decades he is now a political pawn.”
