WASHINGTON – The Pentagon and Scouting America reached an agreement Friday that will see the youth organization eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, a move prompted by concerns from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding the organization’s direction. The agreement, formalized in a memorandum of understanding, aims to preserve Pentagon support for Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America.
Hegseth announced the conditional continuation of support following Scouting America’s “commitment to pull all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from its program,” according to a statement released by the Department of War. The decision follows a period of scrutiny from the Pentagon, with spokesperson Sean Parnell recently stating that the organization had “lost its way” by embracing “social justice, gender-fluid ideological stances.”
Key changes resulting from the agreement include the removal of DEI-focused language from all Scouting America programs and publications. A merit badge focused on “citizenship in society,” which previously emphasized the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion, will also be eliminated. In its place, the Pentagon will introduce a recent merit badge centered on military service and veterans, according to officials.
Perhaps the most significant policy shift involves membership criteria. Scouting America will now base membership eligibility on a child’s sex assigned at birth, requiring applicants to provide birth certificates verifying their sex designation as either male or female. This policy change directly addresses concerns raised by Hegseth and aligns with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14173, enacted in January 2025, which aims to bar DEI efforts in both the public and private sectors.
Roger Krone, President and CEO of Scouting America, affirmed the organization’s commitment to maintaining its partnership with the Department of War. “We reached a renewed, strengthened partnership…following months of behind-the-scenes conversations with Pentagon higher-ups to align on how we could deepen our service to military families, while making programmatic updates to comply with Executive Order 14173,” Krone said in a statement. He also emphasized that Scouting America “held firm on the core commitments” to serving over 200,000 girls who participate in its programs.
Hegseth indicated that he had seriously considered ending all support for Scouting America before reaching an agreement with the organization’s leadership. “I was very seriously considering ending our support of Scouting altogether,” he said in a video statement. “But, before making this big change, I decided to meet with the current scouting leadership to convey our deep concerns.”
The agreement comes after months of dialogue between Scouting America and the Department of War, with the Pentagon expressing concerns over what it characterized as “cultural changes” within the organization, including the combination of Boy and Girl Scouts. Scouting America has agreed to waive registration fees for military families as part of the renewed partnership.
