{"id":130546,"date":"2026-01-14T18:24:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T18:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T16:07:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T16:07:11","slug":"us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/","title":{"rendered":"US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>This article is republished from <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us\"><i>The Conversation<\/i><\/a><i> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-mining-during-wwii-to-a-nuclear-powered-army-base-built-into-the-ice-273355\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-mining-during-wwii-to-a-nuclear-powered-army-base-built-into-the-ice-273355\"><i>here<\/i><\/a><i>. Military Times has edited the headline.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Donald Trump\u2019s insistence that the U.S. will acquire Greenland \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jKKaipXXOuE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jKKaipXXOuE\">whether they like it or not<\/a>\u201d is just the latest chapter in a co-dependent and often complicated relationship between America and the Arctic\u2019s largest island \u2014 one that stretches back more than a century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Americans have long <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2019\/08\/22\/753192368\/fact-check-did-harry-truman-really-try-to-buy-greenland-back-in-the-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2019\/08\/22\/753192368\/fact-check-did-harry-truman-really-try-to-buy-greenland-back-in-the-day\">pursued policies in Greenland<\/a> that U.S. leaders considered <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/4-reasons-why-the-us-might-want-to-buy-greenland-if-it-were-for-sale-which-it-isnt-246955\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/4-reasons-why-the-us-might-want-to-buy-greenland-if-it-were-for-sale-which-it-isnt-246955\">strategic and economic imperatives<\/a>. As I recounted in my 2024 book, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/wwnorton.com\/books\/9781324020677\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/wwnorton.com\/books\/9781324020677\">When the Ice is Gone<\/a>,\u201d about Greenland\u2019s environmental, military and scientific history, some of these ideas were little more than <a href=\"https:\/\/undark.org\/2024\/09\/06\/wilo-golden-age-offbeat-arctic-research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/undark.org\/2024\/09\/06\/wilo-golden-age-offbeat-arctic-research\/\">engineering fantasies<\/a>, while others reflected unfettered <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03468750701449554\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03468750701449554\">military bravado<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2025\/03\/19\/why-the-us-military-has-cared-about-climate-change-since-the-cold-war\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/8283732.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Why the US military has cared about climate change since the Cold War<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">In this commentary, the author examines how the U.S. military sees climate change as a threat in itself and a threat multiplier for national security.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But today\u2019s world isn\u2019t the same as when the United States last had a significant presence in Greenland, decades ago during the Cold War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before charging headlong into this icy island again, the U.S. would be remiss not to learn from past failures and consider how Earth\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/climate-change\/evidence\/%22%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/climate-change\/evidence\/%22%22\">rapidly changing<\/a> climate is fundamentally <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/arctic-has-changed-dramatically-in-just-a-couple-of-decades-2024-report-card-shows-worrying-trends-in-snow-ice-wildfire-and-more-237738\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/arctic-has-changed-dramatically-in-just-a-couple-of-decades-2024-report-card-shows-worrying-trends-in-snow-ice-wildfire-and-more-237738\">altering the region<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Early US plundering of Greenland\u2019s metals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1909, Robert Peary, a U.S. Navy officer, announced that he had won the race to the North Pole \u2014 a spectacular claim <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6294794\/robert-peary-frederick-cook-north-pole-feud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6294794\/robert-peary-frederick-cook-north-pole-feud\/\">debated fiercely at the time<\/a>. Before that, Peary had spent years exploring Greenland by dogsled, often taking what he found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1894, he convinced six Greenlanders to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2000\/03\/15\/books\/eskimo-boy-injustice-old-new-york-campaigning-writer-indicts-explorer-museum.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2000\/03\/15\/books\/eskimo-boy-injustice-old-new-york-campaigning-writer-indicts-explorer-museum.html\">come with him to New York<\/a>, reportedly promising them tools and weapons in return. Within a few months, <a href=\"https:\/\/jsis.washington.edu\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Emily_Johnson_attachment.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/jsis.washington.edu\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Emily_Johnson_attachment.pdf\">all but two of the Inuit had died<\/a> from diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Peary also took three huge fragments of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lpi.usra.edu\/meteor\/metbull.php?code=5262\" rel=\"\">Cape York iron meteorite<\/a>, known to Greenlanders as Saviksoah. It was a unique source of metal that Greenlandic Inuit had <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/1044-5803(92)90112-U\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/1044-5803(92)90112-U\">used for centuries<\/a> to make tools. The largest piece of the meteorite, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnh.org\/exhibitions\/permanent\/meteorites\/meteorites\/ahnighito\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.amnh.org\/exhibitions\/permanent\/meteorites\/meteorites\/ahnighito\">Ahnighito<\/a>, weighed 34 tons. Today, it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnh.org\/exhibitions\/permanent\/meteorites\/meteorites\/fragments-of-cape-york\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.amnh.org\/exhibitions\/permanent\/meteorites\/meteorites\/fragments-of-cape-york\">sits in the American Museum of Natural History<\/a>, which reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lindahall.org\/about\/news\/scientist-of-the-day\/robert-e-peary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.lindahall.org\/about\/news\/scientist-of-the-day\/robert-e-peary\/\">paid Peary U.S. $40,000<\/a> for the space rocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3508\" height=\"2674\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-105220471.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-110380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-105220471.jpg.jpg 3508w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-105220471.jpg.jpg?resize=300,229 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-105220471.jpg.jpg?resize=768,585 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-105220471.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,781 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-105220471.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1171 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-105220471.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1561 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3508px) 100vw, 3508px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A wave of U.S. military engineers lands on the shores of northwestern Greenland to build Thule Airbase in summer 1951. (Keystone-France\/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">World War II: Strategic location and minerals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">World War II put Greenland on the map <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bowdoin.edu\/arctic-museum\/exhibits\/2003\/cold-front.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.bowdoin.edu\/arctic-museum\/exhibits\/2003\/cold-front.html\">strategically<\/a> for the U.S. military. In spring 1941, Denmark\u2019s ambassador <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/STATUTE-55\/pdf\/STATUTE-55-Pg1245.pdf#page=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/STATUTE-55\/pdf\/STATUTE-55-Pg1245.pdf#page=1\">signed a treaty<\/a> giving the U.S. military access <a href=\"https:\/\/history.state.gov\/historicaldocuments\/frus1945v04\/d572\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/history.state.gov\/historicaldocuments\/frus1945v04\/d572\">to Greenland<\/a> to help protect the island from Nazi Germany and contribute to the war effort in Europe. That treaty remains in effect today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mycg.uscg.mil\/News\/Article\/3292212\/the-long-blue-line-greenlandcoast-guards-arctic-combat-zone-of-world-war-ii-194\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.mycg.uscg.mil\/News\/Article\/3292212\/the-long-blue-line-greenlandcoast-guards-arctic-combat-zone-of-world-war-ii-194\/\">American bases<\/a> in western and southern Greenland became crucial refueling stops for planes flying from America to Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hundreds of American soldiers were garrisoned at Ivittuut, a remote town on the southern Greenland coast where they protected the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/travel\/how-abandoned-mining-town-greenland-helped-win-world-war-ii-180973835\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/travel\/how-abandoned-mining-town-greenland-helped-win-world-war-ii-180973835\/\">world\u2019s largest cryolite mine<\/a>. The rare mineral was used for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.miningnewsnorth.com\/story\/2025\/08\/01\/mining-history\/cryolite-greenlands-forgotten-icy-mineral\/9197.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.miningnewsnorth.com\/story\/2025\/08\/01\/mining-history\/cryolite-greenlands-forgotten-icy-mineral\/9197.html\">smelting aluminum<\/a>, critical for building airplanes during the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And because Greenland is upwind from Europe, weather data collected on the island proved essential for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanrifleman.org\/content\/greenland-and-the-strategic-advantage-of-weather-reporting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.americanrifleman.org\/content\/greenland-and-the-strategic-advantage-of-weather-reporting\/\">battlefield forecasts<\/a> as officers planned their moves during World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both the Americans and Germans built weather stations on Greenland, starting what historians refer to as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thearcticinstitute.org\/knowledge-power-greenland-great-powers-lessons-second-world-war\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.thearcticinstitute.org\/knowledge-power-greenland-great-powers-lessons-second-world-war\/\">weather war<\/a>. There was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.military.com\/feature\/2025\/10\/13\/when-us-troops-fought-nazis-arctic-forgotten-battle-greenland.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.military.com\/feature\/2025\/10\/13\/when-us-troops-fought-nazis-arctic-forgotten-battle-greenland.html\">little combat<\/a>, though allied patrols routinely scoured the east coast of the island for Nazi encampments. The weather war ended in 1944 when the U.S. Coast Guard, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.docdroid.net\/OWLUcew\/the-weather-war-wwiihistory201412-pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.docdroid.net\/OWLUcew\/the-weather-war-wwiihistory201412-pdf\">its East Greenland dogsled patrol<\/a>, found the last of four German weather stations and captured their meteorologists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4227\" height=\"5269\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238364.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-110382\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238364.jpg.jpg 4227w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238364.jpg.jpg?resize=241,300 241w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238364.jpg.jpg?resize=768,957 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238364.jpg.jpg?resize=821,1024 821w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238364.jpg.jpg?resize=1232,1536 1232w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238364.jpg.jpg?resize=1643,2048 1643w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4227px) 100vw, 4227px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Army Col. Walter Parsons, center, and visitors climb up to an escape hatch to enter Camp Century, an Arctic U.S. military scientific research base in Greenland, June 1959. (U.S. Army\/Pictorial Parade\/Archive Photos\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cold War: Fanciful engineering ideas vs. the ice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The heyday of U.S. military engineering dreams in Greenland arrived during the Cold War in the 1950s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To counter the risk of Soviet missiles and bombers coming over the Arctic, the U.S. military transported <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1952\/09\/19\/archives\/u-s-creates-huge-air-base-in-far-north-of-greenland-strategic.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1952\/09\/19\/archives\/u-s-creates-huge-air-base-in-far-north-of-greenland-strategic.html\">about 5,000 men, 280,000 tons of supplies, 500 trucks and 129 bulldozers<\/a>, according to The New York Times, to a barren, northwest Greenland beach \u2014 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) from the North Pole and 2,752 miles (4,430 kilometers) from Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There, in one top-secret summer, <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mnhs-org-support\/mn_history_articles\/65\/v65i01p4-13.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mnhs-org-support\/mn_history_articles\/65\/v65i01p4-13.pdf\">they built the sprawling American air base<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stripes.com\/history\/2023-01-09\/thule-air-base-community-8703154.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.stripes.com\/history\/2023-01-09\/thule-air-base-community-8703154.html\">Thule<\/a>. It housed bombers, fighters, nuclear missiles and more than 10,000 soldiers. The whole operation was revealed to the world the following year, on a September 1952 cover of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.madmenart.com\/life-covers-bw\/air-bases-thule-greenland-22-sep-1952-copyright-life-magazine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.madmenart.com\/life-covers-bw\/air-bases-thule-greenland-22-sep-1952-copyright-life-magazine\/\">LIFE magazine<\/a> and by the U.S. Army in its weekly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=54aaQtsH5jw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=54aaQtsH5jw\">television<\/a> show, \u201cThe Big Picture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in the realm of ideas born out of paranoia, <a href=\"https:\/\/pastglobalchanges.org\/news\/137076\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/pastglobalchanges.org\/news\/137076\">Camp Century<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03468750701449554\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03468750701449554\">Project Iceworm<\/a> were the pinnacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. Army built Camp Century, a <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-us-army-tried-portable-nuclear-power-at-remote-bases-60-years-ago-it-didnt-go-well-164138\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-us-army-tried-portable-nuclear-power-at-remote-bases-60-years-ago-it-didnt-go-well-164138\">nuclear-powered base<\/a>, inside the ice sheet by digging deep trenches and then covering them with snow. The base held 200 men in bunkrooms heated to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 Celsius). It was the center of U.S. Army research on snow and ice and became a reminder to the USSR that the American military could operate at will in the Arctic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Army also imagined <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03468750701449554\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03468750701449554\">hundreds of miles of rail lines<\/a> buried inside Greenland\u2019s ice sheet. On Project Iceworm\u2019s tracks, atomic-powered trains would move nuclear-tipped missiles in snow tunnels between hidden launch stations \u2014 a shell game covering an area about the size of Alabama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the end, Project Iceworm never got beyond <a href=\"https:\/\/undark.org\/2024\/09\/06\/wilo-golden-age-offbeat-arctic-research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/undark.org\/2024\/09\/06\/wilo-golden-age-offbeat-arctic-research\/\">a 1,300-foot (400-meter) tunnel<\/a> the Army excavated at <a href=\"https:\/\/pastglobalchanges.org\/news\/137076\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/pastglobalchanges.org\/news\/137076\">Camp Century<\/a>. The soft snow and ice, constantly moving, buckled that track as the tunnel walls closed in. In the early 1960s, first the White House, and then NATO, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03468750701449554\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03468750701449554\">rejected Project Iceworm<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1966, the Army abandoned Camp Century, leaving hundreds of tons of waste inside the ice sheet. Today, the crushed and <a href=\"https:\/\/cires.colorado.edu\/news\/greenland-and-legacy-camp-century\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/cires.colorado.edu\/news\/greenland-and-legacy-camp-century\">abandoned camp<\/a> lies more than 100 feet (30 meters) below the ice sheet surface. But as the climate warms and the ice melts, that <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/2016GL069688\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/2016GL069688\">waste will resurface<\/a>: millions of gallons of frozen sewage, asbestos-wrapped pipes, toxic lead paint and carcinogenic PCBs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Who will clean up the mess and at what cost is an open question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5273\" height=\"4105\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238368.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-110385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238368.jpg.jpg 5273w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238368.jpg.jpg?resize=300,234 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238368.jpg.jpg?resize=768,598 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238368.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,797 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238368.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1196 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1180238368.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1594 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5273px) 100vw, 5273px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Men of the U.S. Army Polar Research and Development Center set up communications at the temporary camp used during the construction of Camp Century. (U.S. Army\/Pictorial Parade\/Archive Photos\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Greenland remains a tough place to turn a profit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the past, the American focus in Greenland was on short-term gains with little regard for the future. <a href=\"https:\/\/polarjournal.net\/abandoned-american-ww2-bases-are-slowly-being-removed-from-greenland\/%22%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/polarjournal.net\/abandoned-american-ww2-bases-are-slowly-being-removed-from-greenland\/%22%22\">Abandoned bases<\/a>, scattered around the island today and in need of cleanup, are one example. Peary\u2019s disregard of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/books\/edition\/Minik_The_New_York_Eskimo\/rzA7DwAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/books\/edition\/Minik_The_New_York_Eskimo\/rzA7DwAAQBAJ\">lives of local Greenlanders<\/a> is another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">History shows that many of the fanciful ideas for Greenland failed because they showed little consideration of the island\u2019s isolation, harsh climate and dynamic ice sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s demands for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thearcticinstitute.org\/trumps-greenland-flirt-clumsy-arctic-geopolitics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.thearcticinstitute.org\/trumps-greenland-flirt-clumsy-arctic-geopolitics\/\">American control<\/a> of the island as a source of wealth and U.S. security are <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/allies-or-enemies-trumps-threats-against-canada-and-greenland-put-nato-in-a-tough-spot-247194\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/allies-or-enemies-trumps-threats-against-canada-and-greenland-put-nato-in-a-tough-spot-247194\">similarly shortsighted<\/a>. In today\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advancedsciencenews.com\/the-rate-of-human-driven-global-warming-is-at-a-record-high\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.advancedsciencenews.com\/the-rate-of-human-driven-global-warming-is-at-a-record-high\/\">rapidly warming climate<\/a>, disregarding the dramatic effects of climate change in Greenland can <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/greenlands-melting-ice-and-landslide-prone-fjords-make-the-oil-and-minerals-trump-is-eyeing-dangerous-to-extract-249985\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/greenlands-melting-ice-and-landslide-prone-fjords-make-the-oil-and-minerals-trump-is-eyeing-dangerous-to-extract-249985\">doom projects to failure<\/a> as <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s43247-022-00498-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s43247-022-00498-3\">Arctic temperatures climb<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent floods, fed by Greenland\u2019s melting ice sheet, have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RauzduvIYog&amp;t=9s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RauzduvIYog&amp;t=9s\">swept away bridges<\/a> that had stood for half a century. The permafrost that underlies the island is rapidly thawing and destabilizing infrastructure, including the critical <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highnorthnews.com\/en\/us-arctic-and-sub-arctic-military-bases-are-unprepared-impacts-climate-change\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.highnorthnews.com\/en\/us-arctic-and-sub-arctic-military-bases-are-unprepared-impacts-climate-change\">radar installation and runway<\/a> at Thule, renamed Pituffik Space Base in 2022. The island\u2019s mountain sides are <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/greenlands-melting-ice-and-landslide-prone-fjords-make-the-oil-and-minerals-trump-is-eyeing-dangerous-to-extract-249985\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/greenlands-melting-ice-and-landslide-prone-fjords-make-the-oil-and-minerals-trump-is-eyeing-dangerous-to-extract-249985\">crashing into the sea<\/a> as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polarresearch.at\/the-great-landslide-of-assapaat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.polarresearch.at\/the-great-landslide-of-assapaat\/\">ice holding them together melts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/centers\/gggsc\/science\/technical-assistance-government-greenland-hyperspectral-imaging-critical\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/centers\/gggsc\/science\/technical-assistance-government-greenland-hyperspectral-imaging-critical\">U.S.<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/eng.geus.dk\/about\/news\/news-archive\/2026\/january\/greenland-minerals-overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/eng.geus.dk\/about\/news\/news-archive\/2026\/january\/greenland-minerals-overview\">Denmark<\/a> have conducted geological surveys in Greenland and pinpointed <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/greenland-is-rich-in-natural-resources-a-geologist-explains-why-273022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/greenland-is-rich-in-natural-resources-a-geologist-explains-why-273022\">deposits of critical minerals<\/a> along the rocky, exposed coasts. However, most of the mining so far has been limited to cryolite and some small-scale extraction of lead, iron, copper and zinc. Today, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/greenland-visit-mine-lumina-visit-only-fully-operational-anorthosite-2026-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/greenland-visit-mine-lumina-visit-only-fully-operational-anorthosite-2026-1\">only one small mine extracting the mineral anorthosite<\/a>, which is useful for its aluminum and silica, is running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9lnP0Rjb2E0?si=MM7NyVrZaqsONZWH\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It\u2019s the ice that matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The greatest value of Greenland for humanity is not its <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/greenland-denmark-security-trump-arctic-north-6066195d0c6b9e1bbe6da27d55b26ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/greenland-denmark-security-trump-arctic-north-6066195d0c6b9e1bbe6da27d55b26ece\">strategic location<\/a> or potential <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/greenland-is-rich-in-natural-resources-a-geologist-explains-why-273022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/greenland-is-rich-in-natural-resources-a-geologist-explains-why-273022\">mineral resources<\/a>, but <a href=\"https:\/\/undark.org\/2025\/01\/23\/opinion-trump-greenland-ice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/undark.org\/2025\/01\/23\/opinion-trump-greenland-ice\/\">its ice<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If human activities continue to heat the planet, melting Greenland\u2019s ice sheet, sea level will rise until the ice is gone. Losing even part of the ice sheet, which holds enough water to raise global sea level 24 feet in all, would have <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/1748-9326\/abb398\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/1748-9326\/abb398\">disastrous effects<\/a> for coastal cities and island nations around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s big-time global insecurity. The most forward-looking strategy is to protect Greenland\u2019s ice sheet rather than plundering a remote Arctic island while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/unleashing-american-energy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/unleashing-american-energy\/\">ramping up fossil fuel production<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/01\/12\/climate\/trump-climate-change-emissions-fuel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.EFA.nlo-.Wzz8_bAnaWW6&amp;smid=url-share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/01\/12\/climate\/trump-climate-change-emissions-fuel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.EFA.nlo-.Wzz8_bAnaWW6&amp;smid=url-share\">accelerating climate change<\/a> around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Paul Bierman is a professor of natural resources and environmental science at the University of Vermont.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/273355\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Before charging headlong into this icy island again, the U.S. would be remiss not to learn from past failures,&#8221; argues an environmental science professor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":110373,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":97,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"4":{"categories":["commentary","opinion","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"commentary"},"5":{"categories":["commentary","opinion","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"commentary"},"6":{"categories":["commentary","opinion","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"commentary"},"7":{"categories":["commentary","opinion","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"commentary"}}},"categories":[97,17],"tags":[8572,8554,8575,8573],"coauthors":[7279],"class_list":["post-130546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-opinion","tag-commentary","tag-military-history","tag-op-ed","tag-opinion"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"OZTJKKHV6JBXZDTFLLVHSPTKWI","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War - Military Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"&quot;Before charging headlong into this icy island again, the U.S. would be remiss not to learn from past failures,&quot; argues an environmental science professor.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&quot;Before charging headlong into this icy island again, the U.S. would be remiss not to learn from past failures,&quot; argues an environmental science professor.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Military Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-14T18:24:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-20T16:07:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Paul Bierman, University of Vermont, The Conversation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Paul Bierman, University of Vermont, The Conversation\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2026-01-14T18:24:27+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-20T16:07:11+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1410,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-52009860.jpg_1f72e6.jpg\",\n\t            \"keywords\": [\n\t                \"commentary\",\n\t                \"military history\",\n\t                \"op ed\",\n\t                \"opinion\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Commentary\",\n\t                \"Opinion\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War - Military Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-52009860.jpg_1f72e6.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2026-01-14T18:24:27+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-20T16:07:11+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"\\\"Before charging headlong into this icy island again, the U.S. would be remiss not to learn from past failures,\\\" argues an environmental science professor.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-52009860.jpg_1f72e6.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-52009860.jpg_1f72e6.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/14\\\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Commentary\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/commentary\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"commentary\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Military Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News About Your Military | Military Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Military Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/military-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/military-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Military Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War - Military Times","description":"\"Before charging headlong into this icy island again, the U.S. would be remiss not to learn from past failures,\" argues an environmental science professor.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War","og_description":"\"Before charging headlong into this icy island again, the U.S. would be remiss not to learn from past failures,\" argues an environmental science professor.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/","og_site_name":"Military Times","article_published_time":"2026-01-14T18:24:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-20T16:07:11+00:00","author":"Paul Bierman, University of Vermont, The Conversation","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Paul Bierman, University of Vermont, The Conversation","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War","datePublished":"2026-01-14T18:24:27+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-20T16:07:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/"},"wordCount":1410,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-52009860.jpg_1f72e6.jpg","keywords":["commentary","military history","op ed","opinion"],"articleSection":["Commentary","Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/","name":"US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War - Military Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-52009860.jpg_1f72e6.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-14T18:24:27+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-20T16:07:11+00:00","description":"\"Before charging headlong into this icy island again, the U.S. would be remiss not to learn from past failures,\" argues an environmental science professor.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-52009860.jpg_1f72e6.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-52009860.jpg_1f72e6.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2026\/01\/14\/us-military-has-a-long-history-in-greenland-from-wwii-to-cold-war\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Commentary","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/","ad_zone":"commentary"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"US military has a long history in Greenland, from WWII to Cold War"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/","name":"Military Times","description":"Independent News About Your Military | Military Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#organization","name":"Military Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/military-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/military-logo-white.png","caption":"Military Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Military Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-52009860.jpg_1f72e6.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130546"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":130547,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130546\/revisions\/130547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130546"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=130546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}