Two words about Vice President JD Vance leads to colonel’s firing
Weeks after being photographed smiling with the US Vice President, a senior commander has been fired after an email was leaked leading to fury.
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Just a few weeks ago, Colonel Susannah Meyers was getting happy snaps with US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance on the literal top of the world.
Mr Vance placed his hand on Colonel Meyers back as they smiled for the cameras at a critical US military base in the icy expanse of northern Greenland.
Now, Colonel Meyers has been removed from her post commanding that base. All, it seems, due to two – arguably unwise – words she wrote in an email to base staff following Mr Vance’s fleeting visit.
On Thursday, US time, Space Operations Command said Colonel Meyers had been removed from her position commanding US Space Command’s Pituffik Space Base in Greenland due to a “loss of confidence”.
She has been accused by The Pentagon of attempting to “subvert President Trump’s agenda”.
Pituffik’s main role is as a radar station and early warning system for ballistic missiles.
Its position, close to the North Pole, is an ideal location to peer over the horizon particularly at Russia.
The US has had a presence at Pituffik since the Second World War due to the permission of Denmark which has sovereignty of Greenland. The US and Denmark are both in NATO and are – theoretically – close and reliable allies.
But Donald Trump’s continued insistence that the US should have take over Greenland has suddenly made the US base’s position controversial.
Last month, Mr Vance and his wife Usha Vance visited Pituffik.
While there, Mr Vance ripped into Denmark claiming it failed to protect Greenland.
“You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” he said.
“You have under-invested in the people of Greenland and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful land mass.”
Two words
Several days later, Colonel Meyers sent an email to both military and civilian personnel at the station, which includes not just American but also Canadian, Danish and Greenlander staff.
It seemed to be an attempt to bring the base together despite the tensions between the US and Denmark.
For instance, the US is required, under the terms of its custodianship of the base, to always fly the Danish flag alongside the US flag – which is awkward at the moment given the tensions.
Colonel Myers said in the email: “I commit that, for as long as I am lucky enough to lead this base, all of our flags will fly proudly ― together”.
But it was the two words “not reflective” that really annoyed the Trump administration.
“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,” Colonel Meyers wrote in her email.
‘Subvert President Trump’s agenda
The email was reported on by website Military.com and was then pounced upon by some Republicans.
Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt wrote a letter to acting secretary if the US air force Gary Ashworth demanding an “immediate investigation” into Colonel Meyers.
Senator Schmitt said her email “appears to disavow the Vice President’s comments” and “may present a serious breach of military protocol” and “nonpartisan professionalism”.
It didn’t; take long for the administration to answer his call.
Late on Thursday, US time, Space Operations Command in a statement said Colonel Meyers had been “removed” from her post “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”.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell followed that up with a statement on social media.
“Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defence”.
According to Militray.com, Colonel Meyers has not been sacked from the military, just from her role leading that base. She has been assigned to another role in Space Operations Command.
Colonel Meyers’ demotion comes amid a continued shake up in military ranks with accusations senior staff are being moved for not being loyal enough to President Trump, for being seen as “woke” or potentially a “DEI hire,” even if they are eminently qualified. Although the administration rarely frames personal changes in these terms.
Last week, Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield, one of the most senior women in the NATO defence alliance, was let go “due to a loss of confidence in her ability to lead”, said defence secretary Peter Hegseth. That’s the same words used to justify letting Colonel Meyers go.
Some conservatives had branded Admiral Chatfield as “woke”.
But it was the recent sacking of National Security Agency and US Cyber Command director, General Timothy Haugh that seemed to have the most direct connection to “loyalty,” or a perceived lack thereof.
Again, the defence department did not cite this as a reason.
But Gen Haugh’s removal came hours after far right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer met President Trump.
“NSA Director Tim Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired,” Ms Loomer said on social media.
Originally published as Two words about Vice President JD Vance leads to colonel’s firing
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