The commander of a Space Force base in Greenland was fired Thursday, hours after the revelation that she had sent an email distancing the base from Vice President JD Vance’s comments during a recent visit.
Pituffik Space Base commander Col. Susan Meyers was removed from command “for loss of confidence in her ability to lead,” the Space Force said in a statement Thursday evening.
“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 said.
Military.com reported Thursday that Meyers sent an email to Pituffik personnel on March 31, days after Vance’s visit to the base, that seemed intended to foster solidarity between U.S. service members and personnel stationed there from other countries, including Denmark and Greenland.
“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 reportedly wrote.
Meyers also reportedly wrote that over the weekend, she thought a great deal about “the actions taken, the words spoken [during Vance’s visit], and how it must have affected each of you.”
Meyers pledged in the message that as long as she is in charge of the base, “all of our flags will fly proudly — together.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell retweeted Military.com’s story on the email and added a screenshot of the announcement of Meyers’ firing.
“Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Parnell wrote on X.
In his second term, President Donald Trump has intensified his desire to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory partially governed by Denmark. Greenland is strategically located, and has significant resource reserves including oil, natural gas, minerals and rare earth elements.
In his March 28 visit to Pituffik, Vance rankled Danish allies by alleging “Denmark hasn’t done a good job at keeping Greenland safe.”
“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance said. “You have underinvested in the people of Greenland and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change.”
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen made his displeasure with Vance’s comments known in a video on social media later that day.
“We are open to criticism,” Rasmussen said. “But … we do not appreciate the tone in which it’s being delivered. This is not how you speak to your close allies, and I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.”
Rasmussen said Denmark and Greenland remain open to discussing a greater U.S. military presence in Greenland.
Meyers became commander of the installation and the 821st Space Base Group in July 2024.
Col. Shawn Lee is now in command of the base, the service said. Meyers was fired by Col. Kenneth Klock, commander of Space Base Delta 1 at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
