U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Scouting America has adopted "key reforms" after previous concerns regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), religion, and “cultural changes” that included combining Boy and Girl Scouts.
A spokesperson for Scouting America, which has been around since 1910, told Military.com on Friday that they reached “a renewed, strengthened partnership with the Department of War” following months of behind-the-scenes conversations with Pentagon higher-ups “to align on how we could deepen our service to military families, while making programmatic updates to comply with Executive Order 14173.”
“Today, we are moving forward with implementing new programmatic elements that deliver on that mission: waiving registration fees for military families, launching a new merit badge focused on military service and veterans, and reinforcing our commitment to Scouting’s foundational ideas: leadership, character, duty to God, duty to country and service,” Scouting America told Military.com.
Executive Order 14173 refers to President Donald Trump’s directive enacted in January 2025, titled, "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity." Scouting America has agreed to meet those requirements, which includes nixing DEI initiatives and addressing religious concerns—specifically “duty to God”—as expressed by Pentagon leadership.
Hegseth said Friday, in a video posted on the “Department of War” website and on social media, that Scouting America suffered after making “significant cultural changes in the early 2010s.”
"After 2012, however, the Boy Scouts lost their way, and a once-great organization became gravely wounded. [DEI] crept in, the name was changed to 'Scouting America,' girls were accepted [and] the focus on God as the ruler of the universe was watered down to include openness to humanism and Earth-centered pagan religions," Hegseth said.
Hegseth has been accused by some, both in and out of the ranks, of pushing a Christian agenda through efforts like monthly Christian prayer services inside the Pentagon and inviting controversial pastors to pontificate.
Scouting America currently has more than 1 million youth male and female members between the ages of 5 and 21, with more than 628,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories.
More than 130 million males and females have participated in Scouting America’s youth programs since 1910 that have been supported by more than 35 million adult volunteers.
Military.com reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
Hegseth Outlines 'Key Reforms'
Hegseth said that he had been "seriously considering" ending all Scouting America support from the Pentagon—including personnel support and access to Defense Department equipment, installations, facilities and offices worldwide. That rupture has apparently been rectified, at least for now.
A series of ongoing conversations between Hegseth, senior DoD officials and Scouting America led to the present, where the organization has agreed to several "key reforms" based on Trump’s aforementioned executive order.
"This includes reviewing and replacing politicized, divisive and discriminatory language throughout the organization, programs and all publications. No more DEI. Zero," Hegseth said on Friday.
Other reforms include Scouting America agreeing to discontinue its "citizenship in society" merit badge, which made it mandatory for those with the rank of Life Scout to "realize the benefits of diversity, equity, inclusion and ethical leadership," prior to being allowed to advance to the rank of Eagle Scout, according to Scouting America's official website.
Scouting America also changed a policy that didn't distinguish between male and female participants' biological sex at birth.
"Accordingly, Scouting America membership applications will continue to only provide 'male' and 'female' as sex designations," according to a memorandum of understanding (MOU). "Scouting America will enact a policy that indicates that biological boys and biological girls will not be permitted to share intimate spaces, including toilets, showers and tents."
Similar policies will be enacted toward scout leaders, volunteers, staff and others involved with the scouts.
The DEI rollback is accompanied by a so-called mutual alignment that promotes the "frontiersman ethos" prepping younger males for military recruitment and service. That involves Scouting America waiving registration fees for the children of active-duty, guard and reserve families, according to Hegseth, and introducing a new military service merit badge of which details are forthcoming.
The MOU also calls for a "designated liaison"—a Pentagon-appointed, uniformed officer or full-time employee—to serve as primary liaison to Scouting America in accordance with the Defense Department's Joint Ethics Regulation.
'Unwavering' Commitment to Female Scouts
When asked about Hegseth’s remarks regarding females being “accepted” into the organization, Scouting America said it remains intent in supporting females’ value to the organization and its overall mission.
“Throughout this engagement, Scouting America held firm on the core commitments that define us,” the organization said. “We maintained our name as ‘Scouting America’ and preserved our service to the more than 200,000 girls who participate in our programs.
“Girls have been an integral part of Scouting since the 1960s and have served as leaders and program developers for decades. That commitment is unwavering.”
The organization’s ”primary objective” remains to maintain support with families who have come up through the organization for many decades, many going on to serve in the military or become teachers, entrepreneurs or first responders.
“Scouting America is one of the most reliable pipelines to the United States Armed Forces our country has ever known,” the organization added. “Scouts are significantly more likely to serve in uniform than the general population. Eagle Scouts are heavily represented in ROTC programs, service academies and military leadership tracks.
“Scouts contribute millions of hours of service to their communities each year. The leadership, discipline and responsibility developed through Scouting translate into adulthood as public service, civic engagement, and a readiness to lead.”
