Some members of the Texas National Guard who were sent to Illinois as part of a federal security effort have now been quietly sent back home â not for anything they did on duty, but because they didnât meet physical fitness standards.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has been vocal about raising military expectations, confirmed Monday that some troops were removed after arriving near Chicago. The move came shortly after a photo went viral showing the Texas troops disembarking, with social media users and critics pointing out what they saw as visible signs of poor fitness among several service members.
Now, questions are swirling about how many troops were actually pulled from the mission, whether it was connected directly to the viral photo, and what this says about the state of readiness in Americaâs military.
So far, neither the Texas Military Department nor the National Guard Bureau have said exactly who was removed or how many. A spokesperson for the Texas department told Task & Purpose that the deployment was launched in under 24 hours â which meant the troops were being evaluated as they arrived.
That evaluation, officials said, revealed a âsmall groupâ of service members who didnât meet height, weight, or physical training requirements. Those troops were quickly replaced.
For many watching this story unfold, the mystery isnât just about the viral photo â itâs about whether this is a one-off issue, or something bigger.
The National Guard Bureau didnât reference the photo directly in their response, but released a broad reminder last week: all National Guard troops are required to meet physical fitness standards at all times â whether theyâre on active duty, training, or waiting to deploy. Those who donât meet the requirements are not allowed to continue with the mission. Instead, they are sent back and replaced with qualified personnel.
Secretary Hegseth is not backing away from his position.
After holding a meeting last month with senior military leaders at Marine Corps University, Hegseth made it clear that physical readiness isnât optional â and heâs setting the example himself. He shared that he still does hard physical training regularly, and expects the same from the entire force.
âHot yoga and stretching donât count,â Hegseth said. âReal, hard PT, either as a unit or an individual â thatâs the standard.â
He didnât stop there.
In a now widely circulated quote, Hegseth said: âFrankly, itâs tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops⌠Likewise, itâs completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon leading commands around the country and the world.â
That bluntness is earning him both criticism and praise, depending on who you ask.
Meanwhile, the Texas National Guard members who did remain in Illinois havenât yet deployed. A court ruling last week temporarily blocked their involvement in the mission after a federal judge said there was no clear threat requiring their presence.
Judge April Perry ruled that the Department of Homeland Security had not provided credible evidence of any immediate danger or rebellion in the state. That decision effectively paused the plan, even as the Pentagonâs readiness message gets louder.
The story continues to develop as more questions come into focus: Was this deployment rushed? How often are troops found to be out of shape during missions? And whatâs being done to fix it?
For now, the message from the Secretary is clear: Standards are back. But whether the rest of the system is ready to meet them â thatâs still up for debate.