At one point this year, the United States reportedly had roughly two months of rare earth supplies left for the materials that go into precision munitions, radar, night vision, and the F-35.

In this episode of Core Sample, I show you how the public documents connect rare earth processing bottlenecks, the Strait of Hormuz crisis, the largest defense budget request in US history, federal small business grants, and the recent military cyber workforce announcements into a single coherent signal.

This is not investment advice, it is about reading what’s publicly available.

In this episode:

• Why processing, not mining, is the real rare earth bottleneck.

• What the Strait of Hormuz closure is teaching the world about chokepoints in real time

• SBIR and STTR and the federal funding pathway for small companies in the critical minerals supply chain

• The Cyber Mastery Incentive Pay and Cyber Registered Apprenticeship Program announcements and why the workforce signal is the materials signal

• Governance questions every critical minerals operator should be asking right now

• Why women in this industry are standing in the middle of this story, not adjacent to it

Sources referenced in this episode:

• Department of War Cyber Mastery Incentive Pay release (war.gov)

• DoW Cyber Registered Apprenticeship Program announcement, April 28, 2026 (dodcio.defense.gov)

• DOE Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation: Regional Consortia announcement, June 3, 2026 (energy.gov/cmei)

• DOE Rare Earth Demonstration Facility program, $134 million NOFO, December 2025

• Covington Inside Government Contracts: Federal Push for Critical Minerals Stockpiling, 2025 in Review

• Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (dodsbirsttr.mil)

Resources:

• EDGAR: sec.gov

• SEDAR+: sedarplus.ca

• Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal: dodsbirsttr.mil

• Sturnella Signals Newsletter: news.sturnellahq.com

• Find Sturnella: sturnellahq.com

• Myrtus career strategy: myrtushq.com

Speaking at:

I was recently at the Elko Mining Expo in Elko, Nevada, presenting on When a Cyber Incident Becomes a Disclosure Event: What Gold Producers Need to Know About SEC Item 1.05. If you missed it and want to connect, reach out at sydnie@sturnellahq.com.

Disclaimer:

Everything on Core Sample is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing here constitutes investment advice, financial advice, legal advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Sturnella LLC is a capital markets cybersecurity and governance advisory firm not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, or financial institution. Always work with a licensed professional who knows your specific situation before making any investment decision. Pull up a chair and do your homework.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sturnellahq.substack.com

Episode ID: 1000773138807

GUID: substack:post:202447113

Release Date: 17/06/2026, 20:51:25