Scouts ‘surprised and deeply saddened’ by Hegseth’s proposal to cut ties

The Hill ^ | 11/25/25 12:08 PM ET | Ellen Mitchell

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Scouting America responded on Tuesday to a reported memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seeking to cut ties with the organization, saying it was “surprised and disappointed” by the potential policy change, as the military has given its support to the Scouts since 1937. 

Congress requires the Pentagon to support Scouting America’s Jamboree, lending trucks, ambulances and medical teams free of charge.

“The Scouting movement has had a strong relationship with our nation’s military going back more than a century,” according to the group. “From the tremendous support of the West Virginia National Guard at our National Jamborees to Scout troops that provide stability for the children of military families deployed around the globe, our nation’s military has walked side-by-side with Scouts for generations.”

It also noted that “an enormous percentage of those in our military academies are Scouts and Eagle Scouts.”

Hegseth is reportedly upset with the group for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. His memo, first reported by NPR, accuses Scouting America — formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America — of attacking boy-friendly spaces and for being “genderless.” The memo has yet to be sent to Congress.

“The organization once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt no longer supports the future of American boys,” Hegseth wrote in the memo.

The proposal calls for the Pentagon to pull medical and logistical aid to the National Jamboree, an event where up to 20,000 Scouts gather at a remote site in West Virginia about every four years. It also looks to prohibit Scouting troops from meeting at military installations in the U.S. and abroad.

In a statement to The Hill, a Pentagon official said the department “will not comment on leaked documents that we cannot authenticate and that may be pre-decisional.”

But Hegseth can withhold such aid  if he determines giving...

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TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: affirmativeaction; boyscouts; bsa; dei; diversity; foxnewsweekendhost; gayscouts; groomers; grooming; lgbt; lgbtq; scouting; scoutingamerica; scoutmaster; scouts; transgender; woke; wokeism

[JeepersFreepers]

I could not agree more with P8riot. Trail Life USA is a great alternative to what was the BSA. My son-in-law is in a leadership position both for the area and the local troop. Two of my grandchildren are members.

From the Trail Life USA Website: "Trail Life USA is a Church-Based, Christ-Centered, Boy-Focused mentoring and discipleship journey that speaks to the heart of a boy. Established on timeless values derived from the Bible and set in the context of outdoor adventure, boys from age 5 to 17 are engaged in a Troop setting by male mentors where they are challenged to grow in character, understand their purpose, serve their community, and develop practical leadership skills to carry out the mission for which they were created."

[griffin]

FAFO

[teeman8r]

i am a scout master. been involved for twenty years. the boys and girls deserve a chance to build character. our program emphasizes the positive and minimizes the woke. cubscouts are coed. scouts are separated. i am not long for the program, but our program builds leaders.

children need it. many single parent moms, we provide a strong male role model. it has changed, but we hold on to the core mission for boys and girls to grow to be better citizens.

[WKUHilltopper]

Good! It’s been destroyed by perverts. I call them the Blow Scouts.

[Russ]

Hegseth is Secretary of War (and a damn good one).

[poconopundit]

Thank you for your comment. I didn’t realize how far the Scouts have fallen.

[SharpenedEdge]

Absolutely the right decision to make. I’m an Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor member of the OA, former ASM and Troop Committee Chairman. I actively discourage anyone from joining today’s travesty of what was before, and steer them to Trail Life instead.

Letting gays and women into adult leadership roles in BSA was the beginning of the end, and, true to form, they successfully destroyed a program of great value by injecting progressive poison into it over time. The notion of female “Eagle Scouts” is preposterous, especially in light of Lord Robert Baden-Powell’s specific goals and intentions when founding the Scouting movement. It was about growing military-ready young men into competent leaders and soldiers who would need minimal preparation to be battle ready. It served that end admirably for decades until the women got involved. Now it is a pale shadow of itself, and is counterproductive to what it should be doing.

Trail Life. Let Scouting America die its richly-deserved death in ignominy.

[Prince of Space]

I’m sure it’s worse now with gay scout leaders, and I bet the leaders are covering that up too.

[WhiteHatBobby0701]

Trail Life USA is getting the message that Hegseth supports them over Scouting America.

[hal ogen]

Good. The scouts “lost their way” to WOKE ad other LIB idiocy some time ago.

[Fiji Hill]

I earned the merit badge for soil and water conservation in 1964. Environmentalist wacko ideology had not caught on at the time, so it was strictly about conservation and maintaining a clean environment.

[Retain Mike]

I think of the father or grandfather for whom it was so meaningful and now have to explain why it has become so disgusting.

[Dr. Franklin]

Bring back the BOY Scouts, or cut them off.

Alternate scouting programs are emerging.

[Dr. Franklin]

Bring back the BOY Scouts, or cut them off.

Alternate scouting programs are emerging. Trail Life USA is one. The Mormons have their own programs, each is separate sex. People who want a traditional scouting program need to vote with their feet, and direct their kids into the right program. The BSA lost its way, and went woke sadly.