Boy Scouts of America Implements Five Changes Following Pentagon Pressure

Scouting America Agrees to Major Policy Changes Under Department of War Pressure

Scouting America, the organization formerly known as Boy Scouts of America, has agreed to implement significant policy changes following pressure from the U.S. Department of War, which had threatened to withdraw its support over concerns about “radical, woke ideology.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Friday that after considering “ending our support of scouting altogether,” the department has reached an agreement with the organization that includes five major changes, with more reportedly in the works.

“First, Scouting America has agreed to comply immediately with the provisions of Executive Order 14173,” Hegseth said in a video statement. “This includes reviewing and replacing politicized, divisive, and discriminatory language throughout the organization, programs, and all publications. No more DEI, zero.”

Among the most notable changes, Hegseth reported that a diversity, equity and inclusion-related merit badge has been discontinued. Additionally, the organization will modify its membership policies to be “based solely on biological sex at birth and not gender identity.”

“That means that the application, any application, will have only two sex designations, male and female, and the application must match the applicant’s birth certificate,” Hegseth explained. He added that the organization will establish clear policies prohibiting biological boys and girls from sharing “intimate spaces together,” including toilets, showers, and tents.

The agreement also includes benefits for military families. Scouting America will waive registration fees for children of active duty, guard, and reserve families. In partnership with the War Department, the organization will also introduce a new military service merit badge.

Scouting America confirmed the changes in a statement released Friday, characterizing them as part of a “renewed, strengthened partnership with the Department of War.” The organization said it had engaged in months of dialogue with department leadership “to align on how we could deepen our service to military families, while making programmatic updates to comply with Executive Order 14173.”

The statement emphasized that the organization is “moving forward with implementing new programmatic elements that deliver on that mission,” including the fee waivers for military families and the new military service merit badge. It also highlighted a commitment to “reinforcing our commitment to Scouting’s foundational ideas: leadership, character, duty to God, duty to country and service.”

The agreement comes after weeks of public tension between the Department of War and Scouting America. Earlier this month, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell had posted on social media platform X that the department’s “review of the DoW’s financial assistance and partnership with Scouting America, including its quadrennial National Jamboree celebration, has been rigorous and ongoing.”

Hegseth made it clear that the organization remains under scrutiny, saying that the Department of War will evaluate Scouting America’s progress in six months. “If we’re unsatisfied with Scouting America’s progress toward and commitment to the agreed-upon reforms, we will find them in violation of the president’s executive order and cease our support,” he warned.

The Secretary of War also hinted at his personal preference for the organization’s future direction, stating, “Ideally, I believe the Boy Scouts should go back to being the Boy Scouts, as originally founded, a group that develops boys into men. Maybe someday.”

The changes represent a significant shift for Scouting America, which recently completed its rebranding from Boy Scouts of America in an effort to become more inclusive. The organization has navigated numerous changes in recent years, including allowing girls to join its ranks and weathering a major bankruptcy reorganization following sexual abuse lawsuits.

This latest development signals a potential return to more traditional policies under pressure from the current administration, highlighting the ongoing cultural debates about gender, inclusion, and traditional values in youth organizations.