Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is doubling down on his crusade against what he calls “fat troops” and “fat generals.” On Monday, Hegseth proudly announced that a handful of Texas National Guard soldiers had been replaced after failing to meet fitness standards. “Standards are back,” he declared. That came as a jab after photos surfaced showing several bulky guardsmen arriving in Illinois.
The now-viral snapshot, captured by AP photographer Erin Hooley, showed Texas troops landing outside Chicago. It was part of a planned deployment ordered by Donald Trump to bolster ICE operations. The image set off a wave of online chatter about military readiness and waistlines.
Exactly how many troops were cut is unclear. The Texas Military Department hasn’t said, and the National Guard Bureau has stayed tight-lipped, though both insist that fitness rules are being enforced.
Hegseth says it’s not a good look for our military to have overweight people commanding it
Hegseth: It is tiring to look out and see fat troops, likewise unexpected to see fat generals leading command, it is a bad look. Bad and not who we are. pic.twitter.com/GwxDgQuRkN
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 30, 2025
A spokesperson told Task & Purpose that the Texas Guard had scrambled to mobilize “in less than 24 hours” for a federal mission. That speed, they said, meant some checks happened after the fact, and “a small group of service members who were not in compliance have been replaced.”
In a statement days later, the National Guard Bureau said, “National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are required to meet service-specific height, weight, and physical fitness standards at all times.”
Those who fall short, it added, “will not go on mission” — they’ll stay home while fitter replacements take their spots.
Hegseth, a former Army officer known for posting sweaty workout videos, isn’t backing off his message. Speaking to hundreds of top military brass at Quantico last month, he boasted, “If the Secretary of War can do regular, hard PT, so can every member of our joint force.”
He even threw shade at gentler routines. “Hot yoga and stretching don’t count,” he said. “Real, hard PT, either as a unit or an individual, does.”
Then came the kicker. “Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations… and see fat troops. Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”
Meanwhile, the remaining Texas troops are stuck in Illinois after a judge hit pause on their deployment. Judge April Perry ruled there was “no credible evidence” of any uprising in the state and said Homeland Security’s alarm bells were “simply unreliable.”
For now, the war on weight inside the Pentagon seems to be moving faster than the one on the border.
