Gen. Christopher "CD" Donahue, the Army's top commander in Europe and a key figure in U.S. support for Ukraine, will reportedly retire early from the military after becoming the latest senior officer removed during War Secretary Pete Hegseth's overhaul of military leadership.

The Army announced Wednesday that Donahue will relinquish command July 2 and that his deputy, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, will assume his duties.

The move follows reports that Hegseth forced out the four-star general, whose command is expected to be downgraded as part of broader Pentagon plans to reduce the number of senior military positions.

According to the Financial Times, Donahue's removal comes just two months after Hegseth fired Gen. Randy George as Army chief of staff, a decision that generated resentment among uniformed officers across the military.

The shakeup also coincides with the Trump administration's push for European allies to take greater responsibility for their own defense and for the war in Ukraine.

Donahue's position carries significant responsibilities because he not only leads U.S. Army forces in Europe but also serves as commander of NATO's land forces, a role that would place him in charge of multiple allied and U.S. Army corps during a major conflict.

A veteran of combat operations in Iraq, Syria, and other war zones, Donahue has built a reputation as one of the Army's most respected battlefield commanders.

He became widely known as the last American service member to leave Afghanistan during the Biden administration's 2021 withdrawal, an operation that Hegseth has repeatedly criticized and ordered reviewed.

Donahue also led the 2014 mission that captured the Libyan extremist tied to the Benghazi terrorist attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

The Times reported that several former senior military officers believe Hegseth's personnel decisions have created a climate of fear within the armed forces, extending from junior officers to the military's highest ranks.

Donahue's supporters point to a career spanning more than two decades in some of the military's most demanding assignments.

"As an officer who proved himself in combat leading the Army's most elite troops during the toughest years of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Donahue is widely respected across both the special operations and conventional parts of the military," Sean Naylor, an expert on U.S. special operations and intelligence, told the Times.

Over the past 18 months, Hegseth has removed a number of senior military leaders, including Gen. CQ Brown as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Lisa Franchetti as chief of naval operations, and Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, who led both the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, according to the Times.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Donahue submitted retirement papers at the Pentagon's request.

The newspaper also reported that questions remain about whether he will be allowed to retire as a four-star general or will require a presidential waiver to keep that rank in retirement.

Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez declined to discuss the matter, telling the Journal, "The Department will not give comment for decisions that may be pre-decisional nor will we comment on alleged internal discussions."