The group, which used to be called Boy Scouts of America before it went “gender-neutral,” has become an organization designed to “attack boy-friendly spaces,” Hegseth said in a draft memo to Congress first obtained by NPR.
The U.S. military has provided support to the Scouts for more than 100 years, and assistance was formalized in 1937. However, in one memo, Hegseth allegedly says: “The organization once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt no longer supports the future of American boys.”
Hegseth’s proposal calls for the Pentagon to no longer provide medical and logistical aid to the National Jamboree and for the military to no longer allow Scout troops to meet at military installations in the United States and abroad, according to the report.
A source told the outlet the internal memos and documents had not been sent yet. A War Department official told the outlet they would not comment on “leaked documents that we cannot authenticate and that may be pre-decisional.”
Scouting America said in a statement it is proud of its long affiliation with the military and will work to continue the partnership.
“Scouting is and has always been a nonpartisan organization,” the organization said. “Over more than a century, we’ve worked constructively with every U.S. presidential administration — Democratic and Republican — focusing on our common goal of building future leaders grounded in integrity, responsibility, and community service.”
Congress requires the Pentagon to support the organization’s Jamboree, in which thousands of scouts gather every three or four years at a remote site in West Virginia.
“The U.S. military lends trucks, ambulances and medical teams, and puts on aviation and skydiving demonstrations, all at no cost to the Scouts. For the military, it’s both a training exercise and an opportunity to recruit highly motivated, civic-minded kids,” according to the report.
However, the law includes an exemption which empowers the Secretary of Defense to withhold support for national security reasons. A draft report allegedly obtained by NPR shows Hegseth citing that clause and accusing Scouting America of creating “gender confusion.”
In a memo to the House and Senate Armed Services committees, Hegseth reportedly argues that the Scouts no longer uphold their mission to “cultivate masculine values.” He also reportedly argues that diverting military resources for the ten-day youth event would harm national security.
Hegseth notably slammed the organization while working as a Fox News host last year for changing the name and allowing girls to join in 2018.
“The Boy Scouts has been cratering itself for quite some time,” he said at the time. “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.”
In an alleged draft memo to top Pentagon leaders about the organization, which NPR reportedly obtained, he similarly said, “Scouting America has undergone a significant transformation.”
“It is no longer a meritocracy which holds its members accountable to meet high standards,” the memo reportedly states.
NBC first reported in April that the Pentagon was considering cutting ties with the Scouts. The Pentagon’s chief spokesman Sean Parnell told the outlet at the time that Hegseth and his Public Affairs team “thoroughly review partnerships and engagements to ensure they align with the President’s agenda and advance our mission.”
Scouting is “part of the military’s recruiting efforts,” and Scouting America estimates that “as many as 20 percent of cadets and midshipmen at the service academies are Eagle Scouts,” according to the report. Enlistees who have become Eagle Scouts receive “advanced military rank and better pay,” a practice that would end, according to the report.
Navy Secretary John Phelan reportedly wrote in a memo obtained by NPR that the proposal may be “too restrictive.”
“Passive support to Scouting America through access to military installations and educational opportunities aboard said installations serve as a crucial recruiting and community engagement tool for the [Navy],” Phelan reportedly wrote. “Prohibition of access could be detrimental to recruitment and accession efforts across the department.”
Whether Congress approves Hegseth’s proposal remains to be seen. The statute Hegseth cites as reason to cut ties requires a report to be submitted in a “timely manner,” and planning for the Jamboree next summer is already underway, according to the report.
NPR reportedly also reviewed a draft letter to the head of Scouting America, telling him Hegseth has not approved DoD personnel and equipment for the event and telling him what will not be available.
“You have our best wishes for a safe and successful National Scout Jamboree,” the letter reportedly concludes.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
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