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The Bulwark ·Behind the news

What Happens When the Country Loses a General

by Mark Hertling

Published 2026-06-25 09:29:26+00:00

If it takes thirty years to grow a general, what is lost when that experience disappears overnight?

0:00 / 12:22 · Narrator Algieba

Context

Writing on 25 June 2026, the author looks past the immediate friction of military retirements to ask what is actually lost when a senior officer leaves the field. The piece suggests that military leadership is less like an assembly line and more like a slow-growing forest, requiring decades of experience and scar tissue to mature. By focusing on the departure of General Chris Donahue, the text considers these exits as a significant thinning of the institutional judgment that holds complex global alliances together.

Show notes

An analysis of the institutional impact of losing senior military leadership, using the early retirement of General Chris Donahue as a case study. A detailed account of the diplomatic and operational responsibilities of a theater commander illustrates the decades of experience required to manage global alliances and force readiness. These observations frame a broader assessment of how recent high-level departures affect the military’s institutional knowledge and mentorship pipeline.

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