From the article:

"Many law enforcement officials, particularly those who work for the rapidly growing Border Patrol, part of the Homeland Security Department, have helped shape the program’s focus and see it as preparing the Explorers as potential employees. The Explorer posts are attached to various agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police and fire departments, that sponsor them much the way churches sponsor Boy Scout troops.

“Our end goal is to create more agents,” said April McKee, a senior Border Patrol agent and mentor at the session here."

I was in the Boy Scouts but it sure isn't the same.

I talked to a council/troop leader and he was disgusted with the direction christian/right nutwings have taken "scouting" since the headquarters were relocated to Texas.

What a disappointment.

It seems in general that when you say "Texas" you say wing-nut, one way or another.

It's bad enough that we've witnessed the militarization of the police, but now the Boy Scouts are along for the ride. What's next, Girl Scout Mata Hari's infiltrating your local lemonade stand looking for tax-evaders?

5150 please!

It ain't how I remember it, that's for darn sure!

This is like the Nazi youth groups.

I'm glad I was a Brownie.

The Nazi youth were modeled after the Scouts (which originated in England) as did their Soviet counterparts, but unlike them (Nazi/Soviet), the mission of the Scouts was to help boys not turn into a junior armed arm of the goverment.