The Texas Military Department (TMD) on Tuesday said that it replaced seven members of the Texas National Guard deployed in Illinois for failing to meet mission requirements.
The announcement follows a viral photo showing a group of service members arriving in Illinois, sparking online speculation about their physical fitness. The image also circulated shortly after the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, told the United States' military's top brass that physical fitness requirements would be tightened to restore discipline and the “warrior ethos” within the ranks.
Hegseth is going to lose his mind.
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) October 7, 2025
I'm here for it.
Texas National Guard arrives in Chicago....for the food I assume. pic.twitter.com/Y9v2xI4eMF
A spokesperson for the TMD told Fox News Digital, "The Texas National Guard echoes Secretary [of War Pete] Hegseth's message to the force: ‘Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear.'"
The National Guardsmen who were replaced have since returned to their home stations, though officials did not specify how they failed to meet mission requirements
Two hundred members of the Texas National Guard were deployed to Illinois, arriving on October 7, 2025, at an Army Reserve Training Center in Elwood, Illinois. The troops are tasked with securing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities and other federal buildings.
The Trump administration’s move immediately triggered legal challenges, leading an appeals court to rule that the troops could remain in the state but were barred from conducting active operations while the litigation proceeded.