The Last US Soldier in Afghanistan Retires After Hegseth Pushes Him Out

Christopher Donahue, the US general remembered as the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan, retired after what the New York Times described as a campaign by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to remove him from the military’s senior ranks.

Donahue became famous in August 2021, when he commanded the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division during the Afghanistan withdrawal and boarded a military transport aircraft with only 10 minutes remaining before the evacuation deadline. The New York Times reported that he was widely regarded inside the military as a rare, exceptionally gifted officer in operations and command and control. He retired on August 27.

According to the newspaper, which interviewed more than 40 people from the Defense Department, Congress and the US military, Hegseth began restructuring the military leadership after taking office early last year. The effort included examining responsibility for the suicide bombing at Kabul airport, which killed 13 US service members during the withdrawal. The move reflected President Donald Trump’s criticism during the 2024 election of the Biden administration’s handling of the operation.

Although the Marines were responsible for defending the base, Donahue, who commanded the withdrawal, was also placed on the list of officers facing removal. He had spent 30 years in the military, served in Delta Force and completed more than 20 deployments and combat missions. The article says he had helped eliminate major terrorist leaders and developed an initiative combining drones, satellites and artificial intelligence to help counter Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. He was also known to support continued aid to Ukraine, unlike Trump and others.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine, former Army Chief of Staff Randy George and former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll tried to prevent Donahue’s departure. They recommended him for positions including commander of NATO allied forces in Europe and Army chief of staff. The effort instead reinforced Hegseth’s view that Donahue had too many connections, the New York Times reported. Hegseth also reportedly suspected that the famous photograph of Donahue leaving Afghanistan had been staged for self-promotion.

Hegseth later dismissed George, who had repeatedly supported Donahue, while Driscoll resigned after trying to arrange a meeting between Donahue and Vice President JD Vance. Senator Joni Ernst offered Donahue a role as commander of Army Futures Command, but he declined, asking, “Do you really think Hegseth will work with me?” He then retired.

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Do you really think Hegseth will work with me?