Boy Scout Troop 1571 touring the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) in 2018, docked at Naval Base Kitsap–Bremerton, Washington State. Photo courtesy of the author.

Journal of Political Risk, Vol. 13, No. 8, August 2025

By Roan Aidane

Given geopolitical unrest and fluctuating enlistment rates of youths within the armed services, it is worthwhile to recall an institution that has a track record of effectively preparing youth for the American military while building America’s civic capacity: Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America, BSA). Scouting America stands as an underutilized resource in national security and military readiness. The death of the bills, H.R. 5622 in the House and S. 4499 as part of the “Youth Lead Act,” in the 118th Congress, underscores the undervaluation of Scouting America as an organization critical to U.S. national security.

Scouting America serves as a feeder organization for the U.S. military, not solely through skill training, but by instilling values pertinent to military service, such as discipline, leadership, and a sense of duty. Amidst the demographic and cultural hurdles confronting military recruitment, supporting Scouting America, through measures like the Youth Lead Act of 2024, must be viewed as a valuable matter within national security.

Scouting’s basic framework was conceived systematically along military lines. The founder of Scouting, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, modeled Scouting on what he had observed of local cadet corps, where boys during wartime helped the wounded, carried messages, and acted as sentries.¹ Such roots thereby became an integral part of the Boy Scouts’ DNA within the United States. Continue reading →