The U.S. Department of Defense has dismissed the chief of staff of its most important military station in Greenland in protest of the allegations that he affected the senior Pentagon officials Jacob Vance.
Colonel Mark Ellison, who served as the director at Thule Air Base, one of the United States’ northernmost military outpost – was sacked earlier this week following an internal audit found that he been acting in a manner that was inconsistent with Pentagon management and chain of command protocols.
According to people familiar with the situation, Ellison is accused of “deliberate insubordination” and “undermining the authority” of deputy defense secretary Jacob Vance during recent strategic discussion on planning for Arctic operations as well as defence systems against missiles.
In a brief announcement, Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Sarah Martinez said, “Colonel Ellison was relieved of command because of a lack faith in his abilities to manage. In the Department of Defense holds its officials accountable to a high standard of honesty as well as accountability.”
The precise nature of the alleged subversion behaviour hasn’t been made public, however sources say tensions increased during a debate that was classified over future surveillance capabilities and deployments within the Arctic region. Thule Air Base, which is a key player as a precursor to missile alerts as well as space surveillance, has grown important strategically due to the increasing global interest in the Arctic.
Jacob Vance, who has led several important initiatives to increase the U.S. presence in the High North, reportedly viewed Ellison’s opposition as an explicit opposition to Pentagon instructions. Although no charges of criminality have been brought against Ellison, Ellison has been reassigned until further examination.
The incident highlights the growing tension between U.S. defense circles as military leaders struggle with changing geopolitical needs in the Arctic especially with the growing Russian and Chinese attention to the region.
An interim commanding officer has been named at Thule The Pentagon will choose an permanent replacement in the next few weeks.