By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – US Navy Chief of Staff Jon Harrison on Saturday has been fired by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who played a key role in reshaping internal protocols to align with the US President Donald Trump administration’s vision.
Harrison’s removal on Friday followed 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.
He was appointed by Trump to the United States Arctic Research Commission in 2020 before serving as Chief of Staff.
Trump said he hoped to make Greenland part of the United States.
During his second term, 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.
Trump has called for the acquisition of Greenland, and Vice President Pence visited the Danish territory in March to emphasize its critical natural resources.
He said that control of Greenland was essential “for national security and international security,” during his speech to the Congress.
