Overview
- Draft documents reviewed by NPR show Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proposing to sever all Defense Department ties with Scouting America, including support for the National Jamboree and access to military installations.
- The Pentagon declined to comment on what it called leaked, unauthenticated and potentially pre-decisional documents, and the memo has not been sent to Congress.
- Hegseth’s draft criticizes Scouting America as “genderless” and promoting DEI, argues the group no longer cultivates masculine values, and cites resource diversion to claim a national-security basis for withholding support.
- Navy Secretary John Phelan warned in an internal memo that restricting Scout access to bases could hurt recruiting and accession efforts, pointing to the military’s long-standing pipeline from Scouting.
- Scouting America said it was surprised and disappointed, emphasizing its nonpartisan mission and longstanding military ties; planning for the 2026 National Jamboree in West Virginia continues without clarity on DoD assistance or Eagle Scout enlistment benefits.