Is the U.S. military seeking to break long-established ties with Scouting?

Scouting and the U.S. Armed Forces have a long-established connection.

The military has traditionally recruited sizable numbers of former Scouts to its ranks — and being an Eagle Scout is thought to be an admissions advantage when applying for a spot in U.S. service academies.

Meanwhile, the military has enjoyed a prominent, patriotic presence at Scouting’s National Jamboree — providing logistical support, medical teams, equipment and demonstrations.

But the U.S. military’s future ties to Scouting may be in question.

NPR posted a story Tuesday reporting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning for the military to cut ties with Scouting America — saying the group historically known as the Boy Scouts has become an organization designed to “attack boy-friendly spaces.”

According to a draft memo to Congress, which sources shared with NPR but which has not yet been sent, Hegseth criticizes Scouting for being “genderless” and for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

According to the NPR report, a source told the media organization that the documents were being prepared at the Pentagon to communicate Hegseth’s decision to Congress, but that they had not been sent yet.

The source requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the documents.

A Defense Department official told Newsweek, “The Department will not comment on leaked documents that we cannot authenticate and that may be pre-decisional.”

Meanwhile, Scouting America released a statement to NPR saying the organization is proud of its long association with the military — and will work to continue that relationship.

“Scouting is and has always been a nonpartisan organization,” the statement read. “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.”

Scouting and America’s military: A historically rich association

The military has provided support to the Scouts for more than 100 years — assistance that was formalized in 1937. But in one memo, Hegseth says, “The organization once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt no longer supports the future of American boys,” according to the NPR report.

The reported proposal calls for the Pentagon to no longer provide medical and logistical aid to the National Jamboree, which brings in as many as 20,000 scouts to a remote site in West Virginia. It also states that the military will no longer allow Scout troops to meet at military installations in the U.S. and abroad, where many bases have active Scout programs.

Congress requires the Pentagon to support the Scouting program’s Jamboree, a gathering of thousands of young scouts held every three or four years, according to the NPR report.

But the law includes an exemption: the Secretary of Defense can withhold support if he determines providing it would be “detrimental to national security.”

Drafts of a report to Congress obtained by NPR show Hegseth invoking that clause — accusing Scouting America of fostering “gender confusion.”

His memo to the House and Senate Armed Services committees argues the Scouts have strayed from their mission to “cultivate masculine values.” It also claims that with international conflicts and a tight budget, sending troops, doctors and vehicles to a 10-day youth event would harm national security by diverting resources from border operations and protecting U.S. territory.

The NPR report noted that Hegseth was never a Boy Scout. Instead, he participated in a church-based youth group that focused on memorizing Bible verses. Last year, as a Fox News host, he complained about the Scouts changing their name and admitting girls back in 2018.

“The Boy Scouts has been cratering itself for quite some time,” Hegseth said. “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.”

Last April, NBC News reported that one of Hegseth’s top advisers was recommending that the Defense Department cut ties with Scouting America — saying it was “too woke” to support.

In a statement released to NBC News, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said, “Secretary Hegseth and his Public Affairs team thoroughly review partnerships and engagements to ensure they align with the President’s agenda and advance our mission.”

A year marked by institutional disruptions in the Defense Department

Tuesday’s report regarding military and Scouting is the latest chapter in the Trump administration’s efforts to shake up long-held institutional practices at the Pentagon.

Last May, Hegseth wrote in a memo to senior military leadership that admissions to the United States’ five service academies will be based “exclusively on merit.”

An applicant’s race, ethnicity or sex was no longer to be considered for admission.

“The Department owes it to our nation, our service members, and the young Americans applying to the MSAs to ensure admissions to these prestigious institutions are based exclusively on merit.”

Nixing all elements of affirmative action, the memo added, ensures “only the most qualified candidates” are admitted, trained and commissioned to lead “the finest fighting force in history.”

“Selecting anyone but the best erodes lethality, our warfighting readiness, and undercuts the culture of excellence in our Armed Forces.”

The United States has five service academies: the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

That memo regarding service academy admissions echoes an earlier Hegseth memo directing that the “most qualified” individuals across the armed forces are placed in positions of responsibility “in accordance with merit-based, color-blind policies.”

And earlier this year, the Pentagon reportedly ordered all military leaders and commands to pull and review their library books that address “diversity, anti-racism or gender issues.”

And at a September gathering of U.S. military senior leadership, Hegseth attacked so-called “woke” policies and practices that he said diverted the military from its mission to defend the country.

Now, he said, there are “no more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses, no more climate change worship, no more division, distraction or gender delusion. No more debris.”

Dramatic Scouting shifts in Utah in recent years

Scouting, of course, also has a rich history in Utah.

For generations, tens of thousands of Utah youth wore the Scout uniform and participated in its high-adventure and community service activities.

In 2019, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ended its 105-year alliance with Scouting as part of a broader restructuring of the church’s programs for all Latter-day Saint youth ages 8 to 18.

That same year, Scouting had another monumental shift, allowing girls ages 11-17 to join and changing its name from Boy Scouts to Scouts BSA. In addition to Scouts BSA, Scouting America includes Cub Scouts, Venturing/Sea Scouts and Exploring. Girls could join Cub Scouts starting in 2018.

Earlier this year, the Deseret News looked into the state of Scouting in Utah to see what has transpired since the 2019 dissolution with the church.

While the number of participants, both youth and adult, took a hit, the program has regained its footing on a smaller scale.

Allen Endicott, Scout executive for the Ogden-based Crossroads of the West Council, told the Deseret News he is asked several times a week whether the program is still alive in Utah.

His answer: “Scouting is doing just fine in Utah.”

When The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ended its formal partnership with Scouting, there were 186,287 youth registered across three councils covering Utah, southern Idaho and western Wyoming.

Those councils merged in 2020 to form the Crossroads of the West Council — with enrollment totaling 6,898 boys and girls.

In 2024, the council reported 6,107 youth in its programs, including 2,393 Cub Scouts and 3,200 Scouts BSA. It marked a 3.35% increase over the previous year and the highest total since 2020.

Of that total, about 20% are girls, and their numbers have risen each of the past four years, while the number of boys has declined. Also, Eagle Scout awards are rising among girls and dropping among boys.