HOW DID AMERICAS “SMART” GENERALS MISS THE RARE EARTH ACHILLES HEEL OF THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPL

[rangerrebew]

John Hughes Column
HOW DID AMERICAS “SMART” GENERALS MISS THE RARE EARTH ACHILLES HEEL OF THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX?
By John Hughes
April 14, 2025
 

To become a general officer, one has to be commissioned and then attend multiple years of progressively advanced schooling culminating in a ‘War College.’ Further, the officer has to demonstrate mastery of senior officer leadership – tactics, strategy, and logistics. So, what has America gotten for the time and money it invests in training and selecting general officers?

6 days ago, in April 2025, China curbed the export of specific rare earth materials that are essential for the high tech weaponry that the US is reliant on to win any fight with a near peer military. This was in response to President Trump’s massive tariffs levied on exports from China. This crisis did not begin when Trump was inaugurated and began his tariff plan to help bring industry back to the United States. It began far earlier.

Since the 1990s, China has aggressively pursued global dominance in the rare earth mining and refinement industries. Due to massive reserves of rare earths, low labor costs, laxed environment policies, and significant government assistance, China quickly became dominant in the market. By the early 2000s, China controlled nearly 95% of the rare earth materials in the world.1

China has flashed warnings numerous times that they have the power to control these essential components for military weapons. In 2010, China halted rare earth exports to Japan over a border dispute. In 2023, China restricted rare earth exports briefly to the US over US restrictions on technology transfers.2

https://armedforces.press/how-did-americas-smart-generals-miss-the-rare-earth-achilles-heel-of-the-military-industrial-complex/

[DefiantMassRINO]

... because no general gets a statue for supplies and logistics planning.  They'll make a statue of Patton, but not of the supply and logistics corps officers who kept his tanks fueled and loaded.

Maybe the military needs to develop an officer corps for economics, supply, and logistics to focus on private industry supply chains.

The military delegated supply chain management to their contractors, who are more interested in profits and stock buybacks than national security.

America took its eye off the ball when the Chi-coms joined the WTO.  It was part of a failed neo-con wet dream to use trade to democratize nations like Russia and China.  That was part of a larger neo-con circle jerk to remake the world in America's image.

America is exceptional.  It cannot be franchised like it was Arby's.

[rangerrebew]

It takes about 7 personnel to support each person in combat, so these "no glory" leadership positions are extremely important.