Col. Susannah Meyers, 821st Space Base Group commander, left, greets Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance at Pituffik Space Base, Greenland, March 28, 2025. Meyers was replaced April 10 after “a loss of confidence in her ability to lead,” U.S. Space Operations Command said in a statement. (Jaime Sanchez/Space Force)
The commander of a U.S. base in Greenland has been fired after making comments at odds with the White House’s political approach to the Arctic island.
Col. Susannah Meyers, leader of Pituffik Space Base, was replaced Thursday after “a loss of confidence in her ability to lead,” U.S. Space Operations Command said in a statement.
“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 said.
The firing comes after a Military.com report that cited a base-wide email Meyers sent March 31 in which she distanced herself from Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the island last month.
“I spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit (by Vance) — the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you,” Meyers said. “I do not presume to understand current politics, 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.”
Meyers then wrote that “as long as I am lucky enough to lead this base, all of our flags will fly proudly — together.”
Meyers’ comments prompted an immediate rebuke from the Pentagon.
“Actions to undermine the chain of command or subvert President (Donald) Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
Col. Shawn Lee has assumed command in Meyers’ place, Space Operations Command said.
The Trump administration has made Greenland, an autonomous territory under NATO ally Denmark, a military and strategic priority.
The territory, home to about 56,000 people, controls most of its internal matters but relies on Denmark for foreign relations and defense. Its ruling political parties favor independence, though they differ on the timeline.
Trump has repeatedly stated that the United States needs to take control of the territory for national security reasons.
At one point, Trump declined to rule out the use of military or economic coercion to acquire Greenland, though administration officials have since pledged respect for Greenland’s sovereignty.
Vance said ahead of his visit that Greenland would benefit from closer ties with the United States.
“Denmark has not kept pace and devoted the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view, to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China and other nations,” Vance said.
The situation has been a source of consternation inside NATO and for Denmark, which has balked at White House statements about a desire to take over its territory.
Greenland has been an Arctic hub for the U.S. military going back to the early days of the Cold War, when more than 10,000 troops were based there.
Today, there is a relatively small military mission on the island focused on ballistic missile early warning detection.
However, as Arctic ice melts and new shipping lanes open, the island’s strategic value has increased.
Trump has cited an increased Russian and Chinese presence in the Arctic as a reason for his desire to assume control of Greenland.
The island is also home to minerals and resources that could be of value if they can be extracted, though Greenland’s harsh conditions make doing so a challenge.
