WASHINGTON — Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue, who oversaw the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, was confirmed as a four-star general on Monday after a Republican senator dropped a hold on his nomination.
The Senate approved Donahue’s promotion by unanimous consent, clearing the way for him to become the commander of U.S. Army Europe-Africa. The move came after Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Republican of Oklahoma, lifted his hold on the nomination, though it remains unclear why he reversed his position.
Donahue, currently the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty, N.C., played a pivotal role during the chaotic end of the 20-year war in Afghanistan. He was the last U.S. soldier to leave Kabul’s international airport, and a night-vision image of him boarding a military transport plane became an enduring symbol of the withdrawal.
The evacuation’s final days were marred by a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate that killed 13 U.S. service members. Mullin, one of the most vocal Republican critics of the withdrawal, has repeatedly called for accountability, naming Donahue and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley as key figures.
On the third anniversary of the bombing, Mullin said, “Not one person has been held accountable for the disaster.”
A storied career
In his three-decade career since graduating from West Point, Donahue has deployed 20 times, serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. He has been instrumental in U.S. efforts to bolster NATO defenses following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, helping establish the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine in 2022 to provide long-term support for Kyiv.
Donahue’s nomination had garnered significant support from former Defense Department officials, including Mark Esper, who served as Secretary of Defense under President Donald Trump. Esper called Donahue a “great pick” with “tremendous experience” and argued that the blame for the Afghanistan withdrawal should rest with the White House, not military leaders.
“Responsibility for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 rests with the White House, not the Defense Department, and certainly not with the uniformed leaders who faithfully executed President Biden’s misbegotten decisions,” Esper wrote on social media.
Retired Gen. Tony Thomas, who previously led U.S. Special Operations Command, also defended Donahue, calling him “the finest officer I ever served with” and criticizing the hold on his promotion as an “absolute disgrace.”
Donahue’s confirmation comes amid broader debates over military accountability and the politicization of nominations. Despite Mullin’s criticism, Donahue’s promotion underscores the enduring support he enjoys within military and defense circles, even as the Afghanistan withdrawal remains a contentious chapter in U.S. foreign policy.
