A top general who led the 82nd Airborne Division during the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was notably absent from a large group of military promotions approved by the Senate on Thursday before it adjourned until December.
Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, nominated by President Joe Biden to command U.S. Army forces in Europe and Africa and to be promoted to four-star general, appears to be facing a hold on his nomination. Donahue was among nearly 1,000 promotions approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this week. Traditionally, the full Senate clears these military nominations before an extended recess.
It remains unclear which senator is delaying Donahue’s promotion or the reason behind it. Holds can be placed anonymously and bypassed through full Senate votes, though this process consumes valuable floor time.
Donahue gained prominence as the last U.S. service member to leave Kabul, captured in a viral image boarding a cargo plane at the conclusion of the August 31, 2021, evacuation. During this operation, the 82nd Airborne secured Hamid Karzai International Airport as American personnel and refugees were evacuated. The mission was marked by a suicide bombing at the airport's Abbey Gate that killed 13 U.S. service members and over 170 Afghans. Although a U.S. Central Command review concluded the attack was tactically unavoidable, critics—including some bereaved families, former generals, and then-President-elect Donald Trump—blamed broader policy decisions for the tragedy.
Trump, who has highlighted the Abbey Gate bombing in his campaign rhetoric, recently met with families of the fallen and reportedly discussed the issue with his national security advisor pick, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.). Vice President-elect J.D. Vance also condemned the Biden administration, notably targeting Vice President Kamala Harris.
Recent reports suggest Trump’s transition team is compiling a list of military officers involved in the Afghanistan withdrawal, considering potential court-martials.
Since 2022, Donahue has commanded the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. He previously led Special Operations Joint Task Force Afghanistan and served as deputy director for special operations and counterterrorism on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Blocking a high-profile officer like Donahue would be unusual, but military nominations have become increasingly politicized. Last year, Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama held up hundreds of nominations to challenge Pentagon policies supporting abortion access for service members.