General Francis Donovan
Commander, U.S. Southern Command
Francis L. Donovan earned an undergraduate degree from Towson University and was part of the ROTC program at Morehouse College. He earned a master’s degree from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and a master’s degree from the U.S. Army War College. He also completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School.
As an infantry, reconnaissance, and special operations officer, Donovan led Marines and Sailors in all three Marine Expeditionary Forces to include commanding a Force Reconnaissance Platoon, Battalion Landing Team, Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and a Marine Division. He then commanded a Naval Task Force in the 5th Fleet and 6th Fleet.
Donovan later commanded Marine Corps Security Forces Detachment in Crete, Greece; a Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST) platoon; and a Recruiting Station in Eastern Pennsylvania. He became Officer in Charge of a Special Operations Training Group; Executive Officer for Marine Corps Special Operations Command, Detachment One; and Director of the Expeditionary Warfare School.
Donovan served on joint tours as the J35, United States Special Operations Command; Branch Chief, Joint Staff, J-5 Trans-regional Threats Coordination Center (T2C2); and Assisting Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command.
Donovan was nominated by President Biden as Vice Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. He was confirmed in December 2022. President Trump nominated him to be commander of the U.S. Southern Command, and the Senate confirmed him by a voice vote in January 2026.
Donovan is married to Kim, a former U.S. Navy officer, and they have two children who serve in the Marine Corps.
In the News…
General Francis Donovan was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be commander of the U.S. Southern Command, heading the U.S. Armed Forces operating in Central, South America, and the Caribbean, succeeding Admiral Alvin Holsey, who resigned in December 2025.
Donovan testified during his Senate confirmation hearing that he would “protect America’s vital national interests, deter war, and if necessary, win them quickly and decisively.” He stated that, heading the U.S. Southern Command, “I expect to confront challenges related to capacity, operational tempo, and organizational structure.”
Questioned concerning the legality of orders coming from higher up the chain of command, General Donovan said, “I’ve received many orders over time, and when I ever have faced a situation where I need to seek clarity, I ask our headquarters to clarify the task.”
General Donovan continued, “I would ensure that any measure of effectiveness of counternarcotics efforts, to include lethal strikes, is assessed against clear, established objectives with measurable outcomes.”
