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 — not for anything they did on duty, but because they didn’t 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.
Hegseth is going to lose his mind.
I’m here for it.
Texas National Guard arrives in Chicago….for the food I assume. pic.twitter.com/Y9v2xI4eMF
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) October 7, 2025
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 America’s 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 — which meant the troops were being evaluated as they arrived.
That evaluation, officials said, revealed a “small group” of service members who didn’t meet height, weight, or physical training requirements. Those troops were quickly replaced.
For many watching this story unfold, the mystery isn’t just about the viral photo — it’s about whether this is a one-off issue, or something bigger.
The National Guard Bureau didn’t 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 — whether they’re on active duty, training, or waiting to deploy. Those who don’t 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 isn’t optional — and he’s setting the example himself. He shared that he still does hard physical training regularly, and expects the same from the entire force.
“Hot yoga and stretching don’t count,” Hegseth said. “Real, hard PT, either as a unit or an individual — that’s the standard.”
He didn’t stop there.
In a now widely circulated quote, Hegseth said: “Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops… Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon leading commands around the country and the world.”
Pete Hegseth: “It’s tiring to look at combat formations and see fat troops. It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals!”
“IT’S A BAD LOOK!”
BOOM pic.twitter.com/a4ZNOojpRW
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 30, 2025
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 haven’t 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 Pentagon’s 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 what’s 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 — that’s still up for debate.
