The Pentagon removed Col. Susannah Meyers from command of the U.S. military’s Greenland base Thursday after she criticized Vice President JD Vance’s comments during a recent visit to the Arctic outpost.
Meyers sent an internal email to Pituffik Space Base personnel effectively rebuking Vance’s criticism of Denmark — of which Greenland is a territory — and undercutting the Trump administration’s Arctic agenda, Military.com first reported. The message, sent just days after Vance’s March 28 visit, claimed the vice president’s remarks were not representative of the base or its mission, a move the Pentagon viewed as publicly undermining civilian leadership.
“I do not presume to understand current politics,” Meyers wrote, according to the Military.com. “But what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base. I commit that, for as long as I am lucky enough to lead this base, all of our flags will fly proudly — together.”
The Pentagon’s statement, shared via Space Force spokesman Sean Parnell on X, made no secret of its reasoning, stating that any attempt to “subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated.” The official justification cited a “loss of confidence in [Meyers’] ability to lead,” a standard phrase typically reserved for grave command breaches.
“Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties,” the statement reads.
During his visit, Vance accused Denmark of “under-investing” in the security infrastructure of the “incredible, beautiful landmass,” stating the Danish government “had not done a good job by the people of Greenland.” The remarks were made as part of a broader Trump administration effort to assert American strategic dominance in the Arctic and revive interest in acquiring the resource-rich island, which holds growing geopolitical importance due to melting sea ice and expanding shipping lanes.
Meyers, reportedly appointed last July under former President Joe Biden, had sought to emphasize cohesion across the multinational community at the American base, which includes U.S., Danish, Canadian and Greenlandic personnel. The removal underscores a broader shift in civil-military relations under Trump’s second term, where loyalty to administration policy is increasingly treated as non-negotiable.
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