14 May 2009
New York Times Says Boy Scouts Explorers Training to Fight Terrorism
Posted by admin under: Training .
Wow. It’s hard to get more alarmist than this article by Jennifer Steinhauer, but it’s also hard to believe that the Explorer program actually trains Scouts to shoot terrorists. That’s what the NYT says a post in Imperial, California is doing.
The Explorers program, a coeducational affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America that began 60 years ago, is training thousands of young people in skills used to confront terrorism, illegal immigration and escalating border violence — an intense ratcheting up of one of the group’s longtime missions to prepare youths for more traditional jobs as police officers and firefighters.
“This is about being a true-blooded American guy and girl,” said A. J. Lowenthal, a sheriff’s deputy here in Imperial County, whose life clock, he says, is set around the Explorers events he helps run. “It fits right in with the honor and bravery of the Boy Scouts.”
The training, which leaders say is not intended to be applied outside the simulated Explorer setting, can involve chasing down illegal border crossers as well as more dangerous situations that include facing down terrorists and taking out “active shooters,” like those who bring gunfire and death to college campuses. In a simulation here of a raid on a marijuana field, several Explorers were instructed on how to quiet an obstreperous lookout.
“Put him on his face and put a knee in his back,” a Border Patrol agent explained. “I guarantee that he’ll shut up.”
And here I was trying to get laser tag on the approved list of BSA activities. I guess I’ve been setting my sights too low, as the saying goes. When police commandos take down a terrorist team in years ahead you can thank the BSA for providing background training for those officers.
Seriously, check out this picture from Todd Krainin.
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8 Comments so far...
Walter Underwood Says:
14 May 2009 at 5:11 pm.
Explorers aren’t part of Boy Scouting. They are under the Learning for Life program. No Scout Oath or Law, and they have different membership policies.
admin Says:
14 May 2009 at 5:46 pm.
Yeah, I’ve heard that, but at http://www.scouting.org/Media/AnnualReports/2006/13lflsummary.aspx the summary says that “Learning for Life is a corporation affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America that offers career and character education programs”. So, I guess I’ve always considered them part of the BSA even though they really aren’t.
long island girl Says:
15 May 2009 at 2:16 pm.
this is good for the teenagers as long as there will be a lot of benefit to teenagers. they must learn how to make things balance most especially to the academic side because some of them might get addicted to it.
Walter Underwood Says:
15 May 2009 at 4:13 pm.
This is the history of the Exploring/Venturing split as I understand it. I could be wrong.
Exploring was the “senior scouting” program, and there were Explorer Posts chartered by police, fire, etc. This ran into problems because of church/state issues and government non-discrimination policies. So, Exploring was spun off into a separate organization and Venturing was created within Boy Scouting for the other units.
Here is the membership policy for Exploring: http://www.learningforlife.org/position.pdf
It says, in part, “Color, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, disability, economic status or citizenship is not criteria for participation.”
More about Exploring: http://www.learningforlife.com/exploring/
Dee Williamson Says:
19 May 2009 at 10:57 am.
I have been affiliated with the Boy Scouts for 47 years. The Explorer program today is essentially designed to further career development as well as character and citizenship development. I am assuming that these explorers are a law enforcement group. As such, I would be surprised if they did not learn the techniques required for their particular sponsoring organization. As such, I don’t see any difference in their learning the correct skills that would enable them to become law enforcement officers than a fire fighting explorer post learning how to combat structure fires. More power to them, and thank God that they are willing to participate in this organization.
Carlos Rodríguez Says:
28 May 2009 at 2:13 pm.
I have to say that kind of activities are NOT Scout activities, taht kind of activties desn´t comply with the Scout Law and doesn´t seem fit to youngters of that age.
Explorers are Not Boy Scouts Training to Fight Terrorists Says Learning For Life | BoyandGirlScouts.com - News, Opinion, Advice Says:
1 June 2009 at 4:47 pm.
[...] found the response to that New York Times article about the Explorers training that included ways to take out terrorists that started a flurry of worried reflections about the [...]
rewrepublic7 Says:
2 January 2010 at 2:17 pm.
I worry anytime you train the youth to round up anyone, much less the DOMESTIC terrorist!!! WOW, no way, plus then to be accociated to the Boy Scouts. NO WAY!
I think the entire organization should join “Oath Keeper” and promise not to turn their newly learned skills towards the American People.
“Educate and inform the whole mass of the people… They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty. ”
-Thomas Jefferson
No Nazi Youth’s please
1. We will NOT obey any order to disarm the American people
2. We will NOT obey any order to conduct warrantless searches of the American people, their homes, vehicles, papers, or effects — such as warrantless house-to house searches for weapons or persons.
3. We will NOT obey any order to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to trial by military tribunal.
4. We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state, or to enter with force into a state, without the express consent and invitation of that state’s legislature and governor.
etc….
