National Supply Chain security review?

LTC John W. Garnsey — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 12:10:18 -0400

Is it time to do a security review all of our national supply chains? Semi-conductors made in Taiwan, Pharmaceutical made in China, Minerals needed for defense, mined in China.
Shouldn't we start thinking in broader terms about our national security? And shouldn't we bring this resources back to the US?

Response by LTC John Shaw made Nov 1 at 2021 2:19 PM

LTC John Shaw — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 14:19:55 -0400

There are abandoned pharmaceutical plants in Puerto Rico where many of the U.S. pharma's set up shop due to special tax exemptions. After Hurricane Maria most the manufacturing left because of the extensive damage. Many of the US companies shifted even more to China and India after 2017.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Nov 1 at 2021 8:59 PM

LTC John Shaw — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 20:59:41 -0400

Yes, we should bring back a number of lines of supply back into the United States with at least two sources geographically separated to prevent one disaster from destroying our capability.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Nov 2 at 2021 3:16 PM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 15:16:17 -0400

There are two competing issues. One is that we have turned a blind eye to corporations offshoring more and more vital industries, first with those industries that hired relatively unskilled labor, then those that required skilled labor. That's been going on since at least the Clinton Administration as the Federal Government traded access to the US market for supporting whatever was policy in that area.

The second problem that now relates to the first. The US population has demonized skilled/manual labor and there is a belief that you have to have that four year degree to succeed. The vocational education system in the US is a joke and we encourage kids that have no business being in college to borrow the money and try it. So now we are short over the road drivers, machinist, mechanics, almost all the skilled construction trades that the illegals haven't destroyed the wage scale. Then we paid a bunch of people to stay home, and now they are apparently punishing people that worked every day during the Pandemic. And we wonder why we have a supply problem?

You even see it here. About half the questions are how do I get into cyber in the Military, the other half is about becoming a Ranger, SF or Delta. Not many questions here about being a mechanic, truck driver or any of the other trades that have value out in the real world.

Response by SPC Lyle Montgomery made Nov 14 at 2021 6:50 PM

SPC Lyle Montgomery — Sun, 14 Nov 2021 18:50:24 -0500

Just a thought about the world wide computer chip shortage. I wonder if the chip shortage at the Toyota truck plant in Japan, will cause the terrorist in the Arab world to have to wait for the pickups with machine guns mounted on them to kill Americans?

Response by LTC John W. Garnsey made Mar 14 at 2023 5:25 PM

LTC John W. Garnsey — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 17:25:12 -0400

Wow, can't believe it has been over a year on this posting.
So, we did have some change - new public - private funding to build semi-conductor plants in the mid-west.
But, What about our medicines? Shouldn't they be made at least in North America? Western Hemisphere?
What other supplies that affect our security are at risk because they are made outside of North America?