The Pentagon’s announcement that Denmark would be sending troops to Syria to fight ISIS was met with bemusement and derision as a 14-member medical support team was framed as a fearsome terrorist-fighting force.

Denmark will make a “military deployment to Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve” and “continue to share the burden and responsibilities of this important mission,” Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman boasted in a statement released on Friday, praising “our Danish partners” for volunteering their efforts in northeast Syria to “support stability and security.”

About some of these Danish contributions, from Defense Minister Trine Bramsen, today:https://t.co/6N26LY3zrPpic.twitter.com/rXdtI2Eliw — Ben Watson (@natsecwatson) September 6, 2019

Nowhere in the Pentagon statement did it mention that the Danish “deployment” consisted of just 14 medical staff, including doctors, nurses, therapists, and support personnel to provide “advanced trauma and medical care” to one of the US-led coalition’s outposts in Syria, operating outside international law.

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Twitter found the Danes riding to Uncle Sam’s rescue in Syria puzzling. “It appears Denmark is trying to get back in Trump’s good graces, after the Greenland row, by sending troops to US-occupied Syria,” one user suggested.

“US is lucky to have allies such as Denmark. Just two weeks ago Trump was shunning them over Greenland and now they are sending people to aid PKK affiliates in Syria,” another noted.

Others imagined how the conversation might have gone down between Washington and Copenhagen.

US: sell us GreenlandDenmark: noUS: send troops to Syria then and we promise not to ask you to sell Greenland anymore — blowtorch_bob (@blowtorch_bob) September 6, 2019

Can't they sell Greenland instead? — Gustavo (@Gu_rebel) September 6, 2019

Some took a more pragmatic view of the situation, while others took it more seriously. “Mighty Vikings will be illegally in the Syrian desert? We will see about that,” one commented.

Small price to pay to spend under 2pct of GDP on defense. pic.twitter.com/DH3if1qZaz — themodernmercenary (@themodernmerce1) September 6, 2019

Denmark also announced it would up its contributions to NATO, send troops to Africa, and supply a frigate to a US North Atlantic carrier group. The possibility of contributing to the US “maritime policing” anti-Iranian campaign in the Strait of Hormuz was also floated.

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