A Republican senator has blocked the promotion of Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue to 4-star general, who oversaw the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Sen. Markwayne Mullin halted Donahue's promotion as the commander of US Army Europe-Africa. Donahue, the last US soldier on the ground in Afghanistan during the withdrawal, became a symbolic figure in the chaotic end of the 20-year war, marked by a suicide bombing that claimed the lives of 13 US troops.
President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have both expressed intentions to hold officials accountable for the Afghanistan withdrawal. Trump vowed to demand the resignation of all senior officials involved, while Vance promised consequences for those responsible.
Currently serving as the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina, Donahue was not included in the list of 984 military promotions advanced by the Senate Armed Services Committee on November 19. The Pentagon had announced his nomination for promotion to General four days prior.
Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed the hold on Donahue's promotion, with no other known holds on promotions. Donahue, in addition to his military service, played a critical role in establishing the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U) to support Ukraine after Russia's invasion.
Sen. Mullin, on the anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing, criticized the lack of accountability for the incident and specifically mentioned Donahue and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley. Republicans have criticized Milley and the Afghanistan withdrawal, despite Trump's direct negotiations with the Taliban for the removal of US forces, against the advice of Milley and Gen. Frank McKenzie.
