All articles tagged with #us army europe and africa
Sen. Tim Kaine accuses Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of letting a personal grudge drive staffing decisions after Hegseth ousted Gen. Christopher Donahue, head of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, who plans to retire as part of a sweeping Pentagon purge; Kaine and others question whether merit or loyalty drove the moves, while Donahue’s exit is framed as a routine transition with Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie stepping in.
Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of US Army Europe and Africa and NATO Allied Land Command, will relinquish his post on July 2 after 18 months in command. He oversaw security at Kabul’s airport during the chaotic 2021 U.S. withdrawal and was the last American to depart Afghanistan. His deputy Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie will oversee duties temporarily. The move comes amid broader top-brass reductions urged by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with reports of possible downgrading EUCOM from four-star to three-star and a Pentagon review of the withdrawal.
The Defender 23 exercise, led by US Army Europe and Africa, will involve nearly 9,000 American troops and 17,000 troops from 26 allied and partner nations across 10 different European countries. The exercise is designed to demonstrate the US military's ability to rapidly deploy combat-credible troops and equipment to assure allies, deter those who would threaten the peace of Europe and defend the continent from aggression. The exercise will also demonstrate the commitment of European nations to increase the scale, capability and interoperability of their own militaries.