US Vice President JD Vance made remarks distanced by U.S. Space Force Pituffik Space Base in Greenland commander Colonel Susan Meyers, who was relieved of duty after sending an internal email distancing the base from Vice President JD Vance’s phrases. The message ran contrary to Vance’s public criticisms of Denmark’s efforts in Greenland, warranting brief and controversial denunciation from military airmen.
JD Vance’s Remarks Spark Controversy
On March 28, JD Vance visited the base and slugged Denmark for what he said is a lack of efforts to adequately protect Greenland from geopolitical threats from both Russia and China. He echoed previous statements by former President Donald Trump, who has floated the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland several times. Fueling diplomatic tension with Danish officials, Vance declared, “You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland.”
Meyers Pushes Back in Email
Col. Meyers emailed base-wide on March 31 that Vance’s views are not part of the Pituffik lens. “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I know is that the concerns of the U.S. administration commented on Friday by Vice President Vance are far from what Pituffik Space Base is about.” The email was intended as a clarification for the military service members, but was reported by Military.com and brought to the attention of Pentagon officials.
Official Response and Dismissal
Less than hours after the news hit, however, the U.S. Space Force had removed Col. Meyers from her post, in which she was ‘no longer capable of executing her duties.’ Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the move on social media, saying that “it will not be tolerated that defeating Tabatabaei … undermines the chain of command or subverts President Trump’s agenda.” Since then, Col. Shawn Lee has been appointed as her successor.
A Pattern of Political Purges?
Some say Meyers’ removal is part of a broader pattern in which the military has been removing people from power who have slighted the Trump-era military establishment, even as the head of that establishment credits Trump for its strength. Under politically charged circumstances, other high-ranking officials such as Admiral Lisa Franchetti and General Charles Q Brown have also been removed from their positions. It is seen as an attempt to put increasing pressure on military leadership through political interference and to demand ideological loyalty.
International and Strategic Implications
Internationally, the firing has not gone unnoticed. The United States and the surrounding nations quickly disregarded any possibility of Danish annexation, and Denmark and Greenland responded very quickly. Greenlandic leaders stood with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at her side, who seemed to be quite clear with her message: ‘You can’t annex other countries.’ She has also stressed that Denmark is ready to raise military ties in the Arctic on equal footing with allies, but without U.S. dominance.
This dismissal of Col. Susan Meyers illustrates the complicated dealings between such military leadership, political need, and diplomatic goals. The boundaries of what constitutes duty and dissent within the U.S. armed forces are being pushed more and more during political tensions and reinforced military roles.
