AUSTIN — The Texas Military Department replaced seven Texas National Guard members who were deployed to Illinois for failing to meet mission requirements, the agency confirmed Tuesday.
“The Texas National Guard echoes Secretary Hegseth’s message to the force: ”Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear,” the Texas Military Department said in a statement.
The seven members were returned to the home station, the statement said, but did not provide details on what mission requirements the service members failed to meet.
Last week, 200 members of the Texas National Guard were sent to Illinois after Gov. Greg Abbott authorized that 400 Texas soldiers can be deployed to other states.
The Texas service members were sent to Illinois to protect federal properties and federal law enforcement agents in the Chicago area, specifically immigration enforcement agents who are arresting undocumented migrants in the city. A federal appeals court has paused the deployment of service members to Illinois.
The Texas Military Department did not immediately respond to follow-up questions sent over email or a phone call on Tuesday.
Over the weekend, the military news website Task & Purpose first reported that an unspecified number of Texas National Guard soldiers were replaced for failing to meet standards. Shortly after Texas National Guard soldiers arrived in Illinois, an Associated Press photo showing some Texas service members with larger builds went viral on social media.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth railed against “fat troops” in a speech he delivered last month to senior military leaders.
“Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,” Hegseth said in the speech. “Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world.”
On Monday, Hegseth posted a screenshot of the Task & Purpose story and said “Standards are back.”
Illinois filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging the deployment of National Guard members to the state. A federal district judge blocked the deployment last week but the Trump administration appealed the ruling to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Over the weekend, the appellate court ruled that Texas National Guard members can stay in the state but cannot be actively deployed.
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