Some Texas National Guard soldiers deployed to Chicago have been sent home for failing to meet fitness standards after an ABC News photo of heavyset troops went viral.
“A small group” of the 200 National Guard soldiers sent to Illinois last week have been replaced for not being “in compliance” with its validation process, the Texas Military Department confirmed to military news site Task & Purpose over the weekend.
The switch comes after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said he was tired of seeing “fat troops” who give the military “a bad look” in a speech to hundreds of military commanders on Sept. 30.
After the speech, Hegseth mandated that active-duty troops take two physical fitness tests each year and work out every day. Hegseth praised the Texas National Guard replacements in a social media post.
A Chicago federal appeals court on Saturday allowed troops to remain federalized in Illinois, but temporarily blocked their active deployment. President Donald Trump had ordered the troops there to protect federal officials at a suburban Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that has seen protests and some acts of violence from demonstrators in recent weeks.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge April Perry issued a two-week restraining order against the mobilization, saying she saw no credible evidence that there is a danger of a rebellion in the state of Illinois and finding that the show of force likely violated the 10th and 14th Amendments.
The Trump administration has said it will continue to fight a lawsuit filed by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the city of Chicago. The legal battle will likely lead to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“When mobilizing for active duty, members go through a validation process to ensure they meet requirements. On the rare occasions when members are found not in compliance, they will not go on mission,” the statement said. “The National Guard, states, territories and District of Columbia are committed to excellence and lethality and are laser-focused on compliance and standards.”
The Pentagon and the Texas Military Department did not immediately respond to Hearst Newspapers’ request for comment.