Space Force Commander in Greenland Sent Out Email Breaking with Vance After His Visit

U.S. Space Force Col. Susan Meyers greets Vice President JD Vance — U.S. Space Force Col. Susan 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. (U.S. Space Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jaime Sanchez)

Published April 10, 2025 at 2:52pm ET

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Just days after Vice President JD Vance’s March visit to Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, the installation commander sent out an email to the base distancing it from Vance’s criticism of Denmark and its oversight of the territory, Military.com has learned.

Col. Susan Meyers, the commander of the 821st Space Base Group who also oversees the Pentagon’s northernmost military base, sent a March 31 message to all personnel at Pituffik seemingly aimed at generating unity among the airmen and Guardians, as well as the Canadians, Danes and Greenlanders who work there, following Vance’s appearance. She wrote that she “spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit — the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you.”

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“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 wrote in the email, which was communicated to Military.com.

The emailed remarks, confirmed as accurate to Military.com by the Space Force, mark a rare pushback within the ranks of the Trump administration’s repeated criticism and critiques of NATO members and longtime allies. A source familiar with the email said it was sent to all base personnel, including those from Denmark and Greenland on the installation.

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Meyers became the commander of Pituffik’s 821st Space Base Group in July, according to a Facebook post about the change of command ceremony.

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“I commit that, for as long as I am lucky enough to lead this base, all of our flags will fly proudly — together,” Meyers’ email message to the base read.

Vance traveled to Greenland and spoke at the space base on March 28.

President Donald Trump and Vance have repeatedly spoken about their desire for the U.S. to take control of Greenland, which is a territory of fellow NATO member Denmark. Both Trump and Vance have also said they support the Greenland people’s right to self-determination, though polling has suggested a vast majority of residents there do not want to become part of the U.S.

Trump has said, in reference to U.S. control of the Danish territory, that it is “a good possibility that we could do it without military force” but added “I don’t take anything off the table.”

Vance, during his visit to Pituffik, criticized Denmark, claiming that incursions by China and Russia had put the territory at risk.

“Our message to Denmark is very simple,” Vance said during his visit to the space base. “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 of this incredible, beautiful landmass.”

An opinion poll in January from Verian found that 85% of Greenlanders do not want to leave Denmark to join the U.S. A Yahoo News poll taken last month showed that 49% of Americans opposed the idea of annexing Greenland, with only 19% in favor and the remaining 32% undecided.

Taylor Van Kirk, the press secretary to the vice president, told Military.com that Vance was “grateful to visit Pituffik Space Base and for the opportunity to meet with our brave servicemen and women” and reiterated support for Trump’s vision for Greenland.

“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,” Van Kirk said in an emailed statement to Military.com. “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.”

The U.S. military has long had a presence in Greenland. Back in the mid-1940s, a Danish-American radio station was set up near what is now Pituffick Space Base, according to a fact sheet from the 821st Space Base Group.

By 1951, a defense agreement between Denmark and the U.S. led to the creation of the Thule Defense Area. Thule Air Base was renamed in 2023 to Pituffik Space Base — to show its new service branch affiliation, as well as reflect the traditional Greenlandic name for the former settlement where the base was built, Military.com previously reported.

That past defense agreement was brought up by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen in a video shared on social media following Vance’s appearance at Pituffik. Rasmussen said he respected Vance’s call for a greater U.S. military presence in Greenland but did not appreciate the rhetoric.

“Many accusations and many allegations have been made and, of course, we are open to criticism, but let me be completely honest: We do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered,” he said in the video. “This is not how you speak to your close allies, and I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.”

The Space Force did not respond to Military.com questions sent Wednesday morning asking about additional context for Meyers’ email. It was not immediately clear whether Meyers was still serving as commander of the 821st Space Base Group following her email.

Department of Defense Chief of Staff Joe Kasper told Military.com in an emailed statement that “civilian control of the military is a bedrock principle of our armed forces. Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Defense Department.”

The Trump administration has gone on a widespread purge of high-ranking military officers and commanders.

Last week, Trump fired Air Force Gen. Tim Haugh, the director of the National Security Agency who also oversaw Cyber Command.

Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, who served with NATO, was fired this week in what appeared to be part of that purge. Officials in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office on Monday did not immediately confirm the move or offer a statement on why Chatfield was relieved or by whom.

Other high-profile military leaders who have been fired since Trump took office — without any public reason given — including Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, the Navy‘s top leader Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife.

Related: US Air Base in Greenland Gets New, Inuit NameStory ContinuesRelated Topics:

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Thomas Novelly

About Thomas Novelly

Thomas Novelly is a reporter for Military.com, where he specializes in coverage of issues that directly impact 700,000 airmen and Guardians and their families. His work ranges from investigations into cancer and health concerns among service members who protect America’s nuclear missiles to safety issues with the military’s Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, as well as features into marginalized communities and profiles of Department of the Air Force leadership. Read Full Bio

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