WASHINGTON: US Navy Chief of Staff Jon Harrison, who played a key role in reshaping internal protocols to align with the Trump administration’s vision, has been fired by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Harrison’s removal on Friday follows the confirmation of Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao, whom President Donald Trump appointed as the second-most senior civilian official under Navy Secretary John Phelan. Both Harrison and Phelan supported Hegseth’s efforts to introduce new military policies.
Before serving as Chief of Staff, Harrison was appointed by Trump to the United States Arctic Research Commission in 2020.
Even before starting his second term as president, Trump said he hoped to make Greenland part of the United States. During his second term, President Trump termed the Arctic region an area of strategic interest. The semi-autonomous island is currently controlled by Denmark. Greenland, the world’s largest island that is not a continent, is located in the Arctic. It is also home to Danish and US military bases. In recent years, there has been increased interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including mining for rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron.
The president has called for the acquisition of Greenland, and Vice President Pence visited the Danish territory in March to emphasize its critical natural resources. During a speech to Congress, Trump said that control of Greenland was essential “for national security and international security.”
Agencies