When Donald Trump could not get Democrat governors to fall in line regarding the deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott came to his rescue.
Abbott offered the services of the Texas National Guard, sending hundreds of troops to help the president’s cause.
Well, some of those troops showed up a bit overweight, going against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s push for a leaner and meaner military, and it would now appear they have been removed.
I have said this before, but I feel the need to say it again… I did not support the use of Texas National Guard troops in another state, as I know I would be furious if Illinois sent its Guard to Texas when a Democrat was in office.
That aside, with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker refusing Trump’s push, Abbott stated, "You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it.”
Illinois immediately litigated the matter, and the issue is now working its way through the courts.
Aside from that, pictures of the troops showing up in the Land of Lincoln went viral because the Texas National Guard members were a little plump around the middle.
Abbott appeared to send the B team to Illinois, as just about every picture I saw of troops was of soldiers who did not appear capable of meeting Hegseth’s new physical standards, and he immediately called them out for it.
The National Guard responded to the report, stating, “When mobilizing for active duty, members go through a validation process to ensure they meet those requirements.”
It continued, “On the rare occasions when members are found not in compliance, they will not go on mission. They will be returned to their home station, and replacements who do meet standards will take their places.”
Hegseth vowed to have the noncompliant troops replaced, and he did not mess around in doing so.
On Tuesday, reports surfaced that seven members who had been deployed to Illinois were removed from the deployment for having failed “mission requirements.”
The Texas Military Department (TMD) confirmed the reports, announcing, "The Texas National Guard echoes Secretary [of War Pete] Hegseth's message to the force: ‘Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear.'"
In all, there were about 200 Texas National Guard troops sent, so seven is a very small number, but as I stated, the pictures were not flattering at all. But I do agree with the standard.
If you are going to be fighting for this country, staying in top physical shape is a requirement. Not long ago, I was on vacation with my nephew, who is a sergeant in the Army, and he went out every day for a run to make sure he stayed in shape for when he went back to his unit. He and I actually spoke about this, and his exact words were, “We literally get paid to stay in shape,” and that would include National Guard members who could be activated at any time.
