You may recall previous reporting last fall where Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon was parting ways with “Scouting America,” formerly known as the Boy Scouts, after the American tradition was ruined (of course) by left-wing Democrats and their culture-destroying wokeness.
According to Hegseth and many Americans, the system has become openly hostile to boys by not promoting traditional masculine values and by encouraging gender confusion. In his opinion, it has shifted away from being merit-based and instead emphasizes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
It was a belief that carried over from Hegseth’s days as a co-host on Fox & Friends Weekend, where he said in 2018 that “This is an institution the left didn’t control. They didn’t want to improve it. They wanted to destroy it or dilute it into something that stood for nothing.”
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On Friday, Hegseth, a combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a major in the Army National Guard, unveiled plans for a transformation at Scouting America. His goal is to revitalize the organization and steer it back toward a more boy-centric focus, ultimately aiming to restore its former greatness.
The news was first shared on the Dept of War’s website:
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth today announced that the War Department will conditionally continue to provide support to Scouting America — formerly the Boy Scouts of America — following the youth organization’s commitment to pull all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from its program.
“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 during his address.
The decision in 2025 to sever ties with Scouting America was influenced by the Trump administration’s view that the organization conflicted with President Trump’s executive orders on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI):
The secretary said his motivation for cutting ties with the scouts was linked to what he said are the organization’s violations of President Donald J. Trump’s Jan. 21, 2025, Executive Order 14173, titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.”
“But, before making this big change, I decided to meet with the current scouting leadership to convey our deep concerns,” Hegseth said, adding that Scouting America eventually agreed to several “key reforms” based on a series of ongoing conversations between Scouting America, himself and other senior War Department officials.
The reforms, outlined in a signed memorandum of understanding between the Pentagon and the Scouts, represent a promising beginning, Hegseth noted:
“This includes reviewing and replacing politicized, divisive and discriminatory language throughout the organization, programs and all publications. No more DEI. Zero,” Hegseth said.
Scouting America has also agreed 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.
The organization 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. 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,” the MOU continues, adding that similar policies will be enacted toward scout leaders, volunteers, staff and any other individuals involved with the scouts.
This is also worth pointing out:
In exchange for Scouting America making all the aforementioned adjustments to its organization, the War Department will allow for “Scouting America activities to occur on U.S. military installations and in DOW facilities, with appropriate logistical services support, in the United States, its territories or in foreign countries as authorized and approved under applicable law and DOW policy,” per the MOU.
“Ideally, I believe the Boy Scouts should go back to being the Boy Scouts as originally founded: a group that develops boys into men,” Hegseth said, while adding that ongoing updates on the progress to restore traditions at Scouting America would be forthcoming:
The Department of War has officially put Scouting America on notice.
It’s time to get back to basics — and DoW is leading the charge. pic.twitter.com/EnY9mvaFLX
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) February 27, 2026
Another left-wing, culturally destructive, woke factor in American society destroyed. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
