CHICAGO – In a swift response to viral outrage, the Texas National Guard has pulled at least seven troops from its deployment to Illinois, citing failure to meet physical fitness standards just days after photos of seemingly overweight soldiers unloading in Chicago ignited a firestorm of mockery online. The decision, confirmed by the Texas Military Department, underscores the rushed nature of the operation and highlights embarrassing lapses in readiness amid President Donald Trump’s aggressive push to bolster federal immigration enforcement in sanctuary cities.
The troops, part of a 200-member contingent dispatched last week to protect ICE facilities in the Chicago area, were photographed October 7 at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, southwest of the city. Images from ABC News showed several guardsmen appearing heavyset as they disembarked from trucks, carrying rifles and duffel bags. Social media erupted, dubbing them “Meal Team Six” and questioning their suitability for duty. “Standards are back at the Department of War,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted triumphantly on X, praising the removals as a return to accountability.
The Texas Military Department stated the seven soldiers “did not meet mission requirements” during ongoing validation screenings, a process accelerated due to the deployment’s 24-hour turnaround. “A small group” was replaced immediately, with no further details on numbers or specifics, though sources indicated three to four failed height-weight and fitness checks. The move predates the viral photos but gained scrutiny amid the backlash, as a National Guard member told military news site Task & Purpose the haste allowed non-compliant troops to board flights.
The deployment, federalized under Trump’s invocation of the Insurrection Act to shield ICE agents from protests, remains mired in legal limbo. A federal appeals court Saturday upheld a temporary block on active patrols, allowing troops to stay in Illinois but barring enforcement roles for two weeks pending review of a lawsuit by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The governor decried the operation as “intimidation theater,” while DHS Secretary Kristi Noem defended it as essential amid 50 assaults on agents since August.
Critics, including veterans’ groups, slammed the episode as emblematic of broader readiness issues, with obesity rates in the National Guard hovering at 15-20%. For the sent-home soldiers—reservists balancing civilian jobs—the return to Texas means potential remedial training or reprimands, not frontline glory. As Operation Secure Horizon nets 360,000 deportations nationwide, this fitness fiasco spotlights the human cracks in Trump’s iron-fisted strategy: Haste breeds headlines, and standards, it seems, are catching up.
