Gen. Chris Donahue Fired by Pete Hegseth. Maybe He Was Too Brave

Key Points:

• Gen. Chris Donahue was relieved as the top U.S. Army commander in Europe by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, likely due to his role in the 2022 Afghanistan withdrawal, which Hegseth criticized as "disastrous and embarrassing."
• Donahue led the difficult Kabul evacuation in August 2021, negotiating a tense and uneasy detente with Taliban forces to control the airport and facilitate the extraction of American and allied personnel amid chaos and violence.
• Afghan-American soldier Fazel Roufi credits Donahue with saving his family during the evacuation, as Donahue personally authorized their entry through the overcrowded airport gates despite resistance from other military personnel.
• The evacuation was marked by extreme danger, including a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate on August 26, 2021, which caused numerous casualties and highlighted the precarious security situation during the final days of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan.
• Donahue was the last American soldier to leave Kabul, symbolizing the end of a two-decade U.S. military engagement, while stories like Roufi's illustrate the personal sacrifices and complex human dimensions behind the withdrawal.