US military base chief in Greenland fired for 'undermining' JD Vance: 'I don't presume to understand current politics'

The chief of the US's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, where Vice President JD Vance made his recent controversial visit, has been fired for 'undermining' the VP. After JD Vance's visit, Col. Susan Meyers sent an email to all her personnel saying that the base leadership did not share the vice president's concerns.

JD Vance's visit was scorned by both Greenland and Denmark as it was a political visit amid Donald Trump's pish for taking over Greenland. It was meant to be a cultural tour by Second Lady Usha Vance but that too was not welcomed by the Greenland government as they questioned the purpose and the timing of the visit. JD Vance decided to join Usha Vance and it became a short trip where they visited Pituffik. "You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland," JD chastised Denmark in the same language that Trump uses.

A few days after Vance's visit, Meyers wrote to the base personnel that Vance's remarks did not reflect the views of the base leadership.

“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,” she wrote in a March 31 message to all base personnel. Meyers' email was written to both troops and civilians who work on the base, some of whom are from Canada, Denmark and Greenland. She told them she "spent the weekend thinking about Friday's visit - the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you". "I commit that, for as long as I am lucky enough to lead this base, all of our flags will fly proudly -- together," Meyers added.

Military.com broke the story of Meyers' letter to the base personnel. A Pentagon spokesperson posted a Space Force statement saying Meyers had been removed that same day “for loss of confidence in her ability to lead.”

Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump's agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense.

⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/ITFeGw0kUf pic.twitter.com/MO68aje1X2

— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellATSD) April 11, 2025

“Actions taken to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” spokesman Sean Parnell wrote in a post on the social media platform X that linked to the Military.com article.

“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 Space Force statement said.