According to several people familiar with the debate, one of the top advisers to Defense Secretary Pete Hegses recommends cutting ties with Scouting America, known for decades as a Boy Scout.
Tami Radhabo, deputy aide to the Secretary of Defense and direct adviser to Hegus, has lobbyed other senior officials to suspend relations with the Pentagon decades-old group for strategic involvement. It is not clear where Hegseth and the people around him stand in this issue.
The Pentagon has not yet decided whether to cut off that relationship and whether it is a complete disconnection of the bond or something like that Hegseth is not involved, but Radabaugh recommended that Hegseth not participate in the group’s video due to concerns.
In a statement, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said: “Chief Hegses and his public relations team have thoroughly reviewed our partnerships and engagement to align with the president’s agenda and promote our mission.”
When the Boy Scouts of America announced in May that it would change its name to officially scout America, Hegses denounced the organization on Fox News, accusing them of wanting to destroy the “left.”
“This is an institution that the left didn’t control. They didn’t want to improve it. They wanted to destroy it or dilute it into something they didn’t do anything. So five years ago, Boy Scouts were basically the end of the Boy Scouts,” he said.
Hegseth said that if organizations like Boy Scouts and young people groups lose what they stand in, the government will become stronger.
“This is a tragedy,” he said. “Young kids don’t have the opportunity to learn these skills, but more importantly, they did it for themselves.”
According to Gordon Shattles, the US military has been helping with scouting for decades. This includes allowing the organization to host all the National Jamborees from 1981 to 2010 at Fort AP Hill, now known as Fort Walker.
Shuttles added that the group has a “long and praised history of cooperation with the US military,” and that “lasting relationships last for decades.”
Scouts America provides statistics show that Scouts participate in the US military academy every year. Approximately 20% of this year’s graduation classes at the US Air Force Academy were Boy Scouts or Women’s Scouts. Approximately 10% of the cadets won the prestigious Eagle Scout Gold Award for their extraordinary contributions to their community.
Shuttles said the military supports scouting by allowing units to conduct meetings, campouts and other activities on bases each year, attending scouting ceremonies and events with the Military Collar Guard, and participating or supporting national scouting events such as Jamboree. He said many active-service retired service members will function as scout leaders and merit badge counselors, particularly for badges related to outdoor skills, citizenship and emergency preparation.
It also strengthened Scouting America’s lack of funding from the Department of Defense or other federal agencies.
Scouts support military recruitment, according to two defense officials.
Although the US Army recruiting order does not have an official affiliation with Scouting America, recruits who participate in certain awards from Scouting, such as the Eagle Scouting Certificate and the Girl Scout Gold Award, can enter the Army at a higher rank when enlisted, according to a command spokesman.
And the US Army Cadet Command is “in marketing and recruitment efforts with Scout America to educate scouts and their parents about the opportunities available at Army ROTC,” the spokesman said in an email.
The West Virginia State Guard has been supporting Jamboree in recent years and is expected to offer military bands and colours to the next rally at the Bechtel Reserve in 2026, according to Defense Officials and Scouting America.
The organisation, chartered by Congress, was known as the Boy Scouts of America for over 100 years until February, the 115th anniversary of its name officially becoming Scouting America. The name change is part of a greater effort to make the organization more inclusive, including allowing girls to participate. The organization filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020, after facing lawsuits from tens of thousands of sexual abuse survivors, resulting in nearly $2.5 billion in trust to compensate victims.
Speaking at Jamboree on July 25, 2017, President Donald Trump said, “You are a young man of a personality who serves as a leader in our community and supports the sacred values of our nation.”
“There are no better citizens in the United States than Boy Scouts,” he told the crowd, adding that “scouts believe in putting America first.” He also pointed out that 10 members of his cabinet were scouts.
Radabaugh, who advises Hegseth about the Department of Defense’s involvement with external groups, is a former producer of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Channel, including a “Fox & Friends” stint, according to his LinkedIn profile.
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