Secretary of War says Boy Scouts no longer manly enough

After a century of boys tying knots and earning badges beside the U.S. military, Pete Hegseth is notifying Congress that the party is over. The War Secretary says the Scouts have traded merit for woke, and so the Pentagon’s support is on the chopping block.

In 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.

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.”

The 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.

NPR

In a draft memo to Congress, Hegseth argues that Scouting America is no longer a “boy‑friendly” institution, calls its rebrand and inclusion agenda a betrayal of masculine values, and proposes the military stop sending troops, ambulances, and support to the National Jamboree. The partnership, formalized in 1937, may now end with a flash‑bang and a “move along.”