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The officer in charge of a US Space Force base in Greenland was stripped of her command after she sent out a mass email that distanced herself from statements by Vice President JD Vance and the Trump administration days after his visit last month.
The Space Force announced late Thursday that it removed Col. Susannah Meyers as leader of Pituffik Space Base “for loss of confidence in her ability to lead.”
“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 Operations Command’s statement read.
Meyers, who assumed control of the 821st Space Base Group in July 2024, fired off a message to the troops in her command stating that the views discussed by Vance during his visit on March 28 “are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base.”
“[I] spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit — the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you,” she wrote to her subordinates in the email obtained by Military.com and verified by the Space Force.
“I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the US 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,” Meyers added.
Meyers sent out the email on March 31, seemingly upset over comments made by Vance about potentially annexing Greenland.
The base-wide message was a highly unusual move, as publicly speaking out again the executive branch is viewed as not falling in line with the commander-in-chief, and signals to the world that the US military is a disjointed force.
Meyers — who spent nearly 20 years as an Air Force officer before jumping branches to the Space Force in May 2021 — oversaw roughly 200 airmen and guardians while in command of the US’s northernmost military installation.
Durning Vance’s visit, The Post witnessed Meyers speaking about her plans to retire in the next few months.
The veep and the commander also had a pleasant conversation about polar plunges before the briefing, with Meyers smiling and laughing as Vance read out a certificate he saw in her office about the plunge, including a line about “lusty seals.”
In total, 650 men and women, including civilian contractors from Greenland, Denmark and Canada, live and work at Pituffik Space Base.
Space Operations Command announced that Col. Shawn Lee replaced Meyers as Pituffik’s commanding officer.
“Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, Sean Parnell, wrote on X, along with the Space Force’s announcement.
Vance press secretary Taylor Van Kirk said in a statement: “Vice President Vance is grateful for his visit to Pituffik Space Base and for the opportunity to meet with our brave servicemen and women stationed there.”
“President Trump has made his vision for an enhanced security footprint in the arctic abundantly clear, and the Vice President is committed to implementing the President’s agenda. This includes strengthening the partnership and cooperation between the United States and Greenland, which is critical for both American national security and the safety of our partners worldwide.”
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee celebrated Meyers’ removal in a series of X statements, with Sens. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) all praising the quickness of the DOD in getting her out.
During his trip, Vance slammed Denmark for not doing a “good job by the people of Greenland” and called out Copenhagen for not investing more into the world’s largest island’s “security architecture.”
“When the president says ‘We’ve got to have Greenland,’ he’s saying this island is not safe,” Vance responded to a question from The Post, singling out Russia and China as potential threats.
“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful land mass filled with incredible people.”
Trump repeatedly expressed his desire to take control of Greenland and previously said he would not rule out using “military force” to make it happen.
However, Vance said the island’s roughly 57,000 permanent residents would first have to choose independence and then enter into partnership talks with the US.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen scolded the Trump administration’s “tone” after Vance’s visit.
“We are open to criticism, but let me be completely honest — we do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered,” Rasmussen said in a video message in English on X.
“This is not how you speak to your close allies.”
Rasmussen cited the 1951 US-Denmark agreement that allowed the US to build more military bases in Greenland and noted that both countries are part of NATO and, therefore, share security responsibilities on the island already.
Initially overseen by the Air Force and named the Thule Defense Area, the Greenland base was overtaken by the Space Force in 2023 and renamed the Pituffik Space Base.
