The Guardsmen’s Dilemma
It really sucks being a West Virginia National Guardsman. If you are not being shipped off to patrol the mean streets of D.C. during the coldest winter in memory, you may not even get to go to the National Boy Scout Jamboree this summer.
The Pentagon issued a warning late Monday to Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts, saying the organization risks losing its long-standing partnership with the U.S. military unless it rapidly implements “core value reforms.” That partnership not only includes Scout troops at military bases world-wide, but 500 or so National Guardsmen providing logistical support to the 15,000 kids attending the West Virginia Jamboree. Guardsmen commit to two weeks annual “active duty”. Setting up Port-A-Potties, water supplies, field kitchens, and obstacle courses for the Scouts beats the crap out of the usual 10 mile hikes with full pack and rifle re-qualification at Camp AP Hill in the wilds of Virginia. Its also beats standing on D.C. street corners in 10 degree wind chill.
What are those “core value reforms” that the Pentagon is forcing? Pete Hegseth blasted the original Boy Scouts of America’s inclusion of girls and its re-branding as Scouting America to reflect inclusiveness. After all, the “I” in “DEI” stands for “Inclusiveness”, and we can’t have that.
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“Back to God and country — immediately!”, Pete posted, assailing what he called Scouting America’s “unacceptable” decisions in recent years “that run counter to the values of this administration,” including “an embrace of DEI and other social justice, gender-fluid ideological stances.”
That’s right, Pete! We can’t have 11 year old American kids concerned about social justice and against gender discrimination. The Hitler Youth wasn’t concerned about such things and look how well it worked out for them. Today’s Scouts will grow into tomorrow’s ICE agents. They can’t have a social conscience.
Scouting America was surprised when the Pentagon turned against them. In 2017, Donnie himself appeared at the Jamboree and told the thousands of assembled Scouts how proud he was to be there — and that 10 of his Cabinet members at the time had been Scouts. “The Scouts believe in putting America first!” Of course, that was Trump 1.0. TACO Donnie reserves the right to change his mind.
Meanwhile, those poor West Virginia National Guardsmen are stuck patrolling D.C. in 95 degree heat this summer instead of watching Scouts try to make a fire by rubbing sticks together.
By Ed Dufton
