GNC is on 80 military bases and owned by China
At a time so many are suddenly concerned about national security and communications issues, one has to wonder why no one spoke up about this issue until it was discovered recently. A former Green Beret leads the charge.
In late 2020 GNC, a national nutrition and supplement retailer, was rolled into a holding company that is entirely owned by Harbin, a Pharmaceutical Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise that answers directly to the Communist Party of China.
It's 2025 and we only learn about this now? This has to be the hugest spy scandal seen for decades!
In a revelation that has sent shockwaves through Washington, Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-NC) has exposed this startling national security vulnerability: over 80 GNC retail stores operating on U.S. military bases are owned and controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). These stores, run under the GNC brand, are not only physically embedded in America’s most sensitive installations but also pose a significant threat to the privacy and security of military personnel.
The CCP’s Infiltration: Inside the Wire
The enemy didn’t need to breach our defenses because they were already inside. According to Harrigan, this is precisely the case with GNC—a once-trusted American nutrition company founded in Pittsburgh in 1935. After filing for bankruptcy in 2020, GNC was acquired by Harbin Pharmaceutical Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise answering directly to the CCP. Through long-term concession contracts with military exchange systems like AAFES and NEXCOM, GNC continues to operate freely on U.S. bases, bypassing federal acquisition rules and avoiding meaningful oversight.
Harrigan warns that this arrangement allows the CCP to collect sensitive data from service members, every single day. Soldiers unknowingly provide personal information such as names, addresses, credit card details, and even health data during supplement consultations. This wealth of data is an enormous treasure that could enable adversaries to build detailed profiles on military personnel—tracking deployment cycles, identifying psychological vulnerabilities, and mapping behavioral patterns.
GNC did not disclose that it had a parent company that is fully controlled by a Chinese state-owned entity. The Biden administration failed to act and the General Services Administration failed to due their due diligence and accepted GNC's registration without any scrutiny. It would almost seem- purposeful, due to the sheer magnitude of this colossal failure.
National Security Risks of GNC on Bases
The risks posed by GNC’s presence go far beyond data collection:
• Cyber Vulnerabilities: In-store WiFi and app usage could expose geolocation data or embed malicious software.
• Counterfeit Products: Harmful or banned substances could be introduced into supply chains, compromising readiness.
• In September of last year, protein shakes sold at GNC stores on military bases were pulled from the shelves after it found the powder contained hemp seeds which is banned for military personnel. This can cause Service Members to test positive for THC. If the Chinese have been selling this since 2020, how many Service Members had a false report for marijuana use?
It may be important to look at any Service Members who may have had their lives and careers ruined by a false test over the past 4 years. Could this have been intentional by the Chinese Government to inflict damage and ruin morale within our community? It can't be ruled out. Would the U.S. government do this to the Chinese military if they could? I think we know the answer.
• Surveillance Opportunities: Physical access opens doors for covert intelligence-gathering operations.
As AAFES has wifi in their facilities they could be infiltrated to gain access to even more Service members and their Families. Every Service Member that has the GNC app can be tracked for every movement. In fact as a Service Member goes to his unit, they now know where that Service Member works. They know where he lives. If a group of GNC buyers from a unit suddenly pings at the National Training Center (NTC), they know that unit has deployed. OPSEC (Operational Security) has been compromised. Without a doubt, every single Service Members that has used GNC now has a file held by the Chinese government with numerous data points of their lives.
Legislative Action: Closing the Loopholes
Pat Harrigan, a former Special Forces "Green Beret" and now Representative out of North Carolina has introduced the Military Installation Retail Security Act of 2025 to address this glaring vulnerability. The bill prohibits companies owned or controlled by adversarial governments—China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea—from operating on U.S. military installations. It also terminates existing contracts with companies that concealed their ownership and tightens loopholes that allowed foreign entities to infiltrate military infrastructure.
“This isn’t about trade policy or consumer choice,” Harrigan emphasized. “It’s a national security issue—a failure of diligence and leadership that must be corrected.”
Do we need legislation? Military Commanders of bases have the power to restrict military personnel by labeling GNC as "off limits" under Army Regulation 190-24 as it poses a risk to good order, discipline, health or safety. This would cause any Service Members entering their stores to be subject to UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). AAFES can post a sign right outside of their doors announcing the restriction and pull GNC from their shelves inside their stores.
A Call to Action to remove GNC from Military Bases
The revelation underscores the urgency of protecting America’s troops from threats hiding in plain sight. With sensitive environments compromised by foreign-controlled entities, Harrigan’s legislation aims to restore control and safeguard those who defend the nation.
As Congress debates this critical issue, one thing is clear: America’s military bases should remain impenetrable fortresses—not playgrounds for foreign adversaries exploiting bureaucratic loopholes.
It will be interesting to see who objects to the removal of GNC from bases.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions:
How does GNC integrate data from different sources to track behavior?
The search results provided are unrelated to the GNC retail chain and instead focus on “Guidance, Navigation, and Control” (GNC) systems used in aerospace and defense technologies. They do not address how the GNC retail chain integrates data from different sources to track behavior.
However, based on general practices in retail data analytics, GNC could integrate data from:
• Point-of-Sale Systems: Tracking purchase history, payment methods, and product preferences.
• Loyalty Programs: Collecting personal details, purchase frequency, and reward usage.
• Mobile Apps and Online Platforms: Monitoring browsing behavior, app usage patterns, and geolocation data. They can see what unit you drive to. They can see where you live. They can use this to target you and create a “pattern of life” which be used against you. Have you visited a strip club? They know it. If you’re a high enough target they can get one of their spies to start working where you visit, start flirting and begin a relationship with you with their goal to gather information.
• Health Consultations: Gathering sensitive health information shared during in-store consultations.
This data can be aggregated to build comprehensive customer profiles, analyze behavioral patterns, and optimize marketing or operational strategies. For further details specific to GNC retail operations, additional privacy policy or company-specific documentation would be needed.
GNC can track several specific behaviors and patterns from military personnel’s data, including:
1. Purchase Habits: Frequency, types, and timing of dietary supplement purchases, which could reveal health priorities, fitness routines, or deployment readiness.
2. Health Patterns: Information shared during supplement consultations, such as fitness goals or medical concerns, offering insights into physical and psychological health.
3. Behavioral Trends: Loyalty program data and app usage may reveal routines, preferences, and geolocation patterns, helping to map daily activities.
4. Financial Transactions: Credit card usage and spending habits provide economic profiles and potential vulnerabilities.
These data points could collectively enable profiling of military personnel, tracking deployment cycles, or identifying psychological flags critical for adversarial intelligence efforts.