Pentagon gives ultimatum to Scouting America — drop 'wokeness' or be dumped
The Pentagon has threatened to drop its decades-long military support for Scouting America, formerly known as Boy Scouts, according to reports Tuesday.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been critical of the organization and its name change, particularly its decision to allow girls to join the formerly all-male youth program, according to The Washington Post.
The move is the Trump administration's most recent attack on diversity, inclusion and its focus on stopping what it has referred to as "wokeness."
"The organization has been in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s crosshairs for years, ever since the group allowed girls to join and in 2024 said it would rebrand as Scouting America to project its inclusiveness," The Post reported. "Hegseth is an avowed critic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and has worked aggressively during his tenure atop the Pentagon to purge what he calls 'woke' programs — and people — from the institution."
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued the warning for the organization in a post on X Monday, describing how the "great organization" has "lost its way," and that it would need to drop initiatives considered "woke."
"But, for more than a decade now, Scouting America's leadership has made decisions that run counter to the values of this administration and this Department of War, including an embrace of DEl and other social justice, gender-fluid ideological stances. This is unacceptable," Parnell wrote.
The threat has left questions around the organization's upcoming Jamboree, a 10-day gathering in July that was slated to bring more than 15,000 Scouts from across the United States to West Virginia. In previous years, the event has featured nearly 500 National Guard members, military reservists and active-duty military members who help support the summit. This is "all now in doubt if the organization does not meet the Pentagon’s demands."
Parnell's warning signaled that the organization would have to move to meet its demands. Scouting America has not yet commented on the Pentagon's statement, The Post reported.
"Scouting America and the Department of War are near a final agreement where we believe we can continue our partnership with Scouting America, as long as the organization rapidly implements the common-sense, core value reforms," Parnell wrote. "They are on the clock, and we are watching."
A leaked report in November signaled that Hegseth’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies would reportedly result in the Pentagon turning its back on Scouting America. In the report obtained by NPR, the outlet reported that Hegseth believes the organization, “once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt, no longer supports the future of American boys,” and is currently designed to "attack boy-friendly spaces.”
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