Hegseth pushes fitness standards after Texas replaces some National Guard troops

War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday appeared to emphasize fitness standards in the United States military after Texas replaced some of its National Guard troops in Chicago who were reportedly not in compliance with its validation process.

President Donald Trump last week sent some Illinois National Guard troops to Chicago as Texas sent 200 of its own troops, who were tasked with protecting federal buildings. But a judge has paused the deployment for the time being.

The Lone Star state did not indicate how many of its troops were replaced or what part of the validation process they failed to meet, but it comes after Texas troops were criticized on social media for appearing overweight. 

“In less than 24 hours, Texas National Guardsmen mobilized for the Federal Protection Mission,” a spokesperson told Task & Purpose over the weekend. “The speed of the response necessitated a concurrent validation process, during which we identified a small group of service members who were not in compliance and have been replaced.”

Hegseth promoted the story in a post on X on Monday, where he stated that "standards are back at the [Department of War]." 

The secretary's post comes after he told military leaders last month that it was "tiring" to see "fat troops" and "unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon leading commands around the country and the world.”

The National Guard bureau also recently reminded soldiers that they “are required to meet service-specific height, weight and physical fitness standards at all times.” 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.