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.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, allegedly exploited sensitive details from a January mission to capture Maduro, using insider knowledge to place wagers on the platform Polymarket, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York.

Prosecutors said Van Dyke participated in the planning and execution of the operation for about a month starting Dec. 8, 2025, during which he had access to classified material.He faces multiple charges, including unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.

If convicted, he could face a lengthy prison sentence.According to the indictment, Van Dyke created an account on Polymarket in late December and placed around 13 bets, taking positions on outcomes such as the presence of U.S. forces in Venezuela and Maduro being removed from power by Jan. 31, 2026.

Officials allege that after securing the winnings, Van Dyke transferred much of the funds into a foreign cryptocurrency account before moving them into a brokerage account. He also attempted to have his Polymarket account deleted, claiming he had lost access to the associated email, prosecutors said.

Van Dyke, a Master Sergeant promoted in 2023, was part of the U.S. special forces community and stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The indictment states he had signed nondisclosure agreements prohibiting the disclosure or misuse of classified or sensitive operational information.

Kash Patel said the case underscores accountability for individuals entrusted with national security information. “Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable,” he said in a statement.

The case follows heightened scrutiny of prediction markets after reports earlier this month identified suspiciously accurate bets tied to geopolitical developments, prompting warnings from the White House against the misuse of nonpublic information in such platforms.

The Pentagon referred inquiries to the Army and the Department of Justice, while U.S. Special Operations Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The figures, published by the Pentagon, show that 247 of the injured are from the U.S. Army, 63 from the Navy, 19 from the Marine Corps and 36 from the Air Force.

The data also indicates that 200 of those wounded are mid- to senior-level enlisted personnel, while 85 are officers and 80 are junior enlisted troops.

It remains unclear whether the figures include personnel involved in two combat aircraft incidents reported on Friday, including the downing of a U.S. fighter jet during operations over Iran.The overall death toll stands at 13 U.S. service members, the military said.

Of these, six died when a refueling aircraft crashed over Iraq, while seven were killed in combat operations linked to the conflict.

Separately, 12 U.S. troops were wounded, including two seriously, in an Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, according to earlier reports.

The casualty figures come as U.S. forces continue sustained operations against Iran, with the scale and intensity of the conflict raising concerns over its broader regional and strategic implications.