Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a video posted to X that the Pentagon has put Scouting America — formerly the Boy Scouts of America — “on notice” and will reassess the department’s relationship with the organization in six months. The announcement follows Hegseth’s warning that he could cut ties and remove Scouting activities from military bases worldwide unless the group reverses changes he described as adopting “an insidious, radical, woke ideology.”
Hegseth criticized Scouting America’s new name, the inclusion of girls, and what he called accommodations for gender fluidity and transgender members. He said he would prefer a return to an all‑male organization and urged a “back to basics” focus on traditional language about God and country. The secretary also said Scouting America would change its membership policy to require that applications match an applicant’s birth certificate and include only two sex designations, male and female.
Scouting America CEO Roger Krone responded that the organization will not revert to its former name or exclude girls. Speaking to NPR, Krone said the decision to serve girls and families was deliberate: the national council intends to support whole families rather than exclude people. He noted the membership application already lists two sex options and said that information is used to operate units safely — for example, for tenting and bathroom arrangements — particularly after changes enacted in response to sexual abuse allegations that led to a $2.46 billion victims compensation fund.
After a January meeting in which Hegseth demanded name and membership changes, Scouting officials offered a set of concessions that stopped short of removing girls or restoring the old name. In a letter to Hegseth, the organization proposed dropping a Citizenship in Society merit badge that addressed diversity and was added after George Floyd’s killing; adding a Military Service merit badge; waiving membership fees for military families; and holding a public rededication emphasizing duty to God, duty to country, and service. Scouting leaders said they planned to implement those changes regardless of the Pentagon’s decision.
Hegseth’s six‑month review represents a partial retreat from an earlier posture that appeared to prepare for an immediate severing of ties. Previous reporting showed Pentagon staff drafted notifications for congressional Armed Services Committees outlining how the department would withdraw military medical and logistical support for the quadrennial Scout Jamboree, arguing that providing such assistance could threaten national security. A full break would also have meant banning Scout meetings on bases and ending programs that allow Eagle Scouts to enlist at advanced rank and pay.
The possibility of a split prompted backlash from some lawmakers and from Scout members and alumni, who mobilized to preserve the century‑old partnership between the military and Scouting. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska publicly criticized the proposal. For now, base access for Scout troops will continue and the Pentagon says it will proceed with Jamboree support and recruitment coordination while the six‑month review is underway.
Hegseth has framed part of his argument around Scouting’s historical ties to national service, noting that many U.S. presidents and astronauts were Scouts. Scouting America leaders maintain their recent changes and proposed concessions are meant to preserve service to families and ensure safety, while resisting demands to revert to previous membership and naming practices. The coming months will determine whether the relationship between the Pentagon and Scouting America is sustained, altered, or further curtailed.