Texas Guard’s top general replaced amid border mission troubles

Both Jeff LPH 3 and ninja send in word that Texas Governor Abbott has sacked his top military officer amid all the issues with the state’s border enforcement mission.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday he has replaced Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris as leader of the Texas Military Department after months of criticism that her handling of his highly touted border mission had led to deplorable living conditions for troops.

In a news release, Abbott said Norris’ term expired in February and Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Suelzer, who formerly oversaw the Texas Air Guard, was the military department’s new leader as of Monday.

Norris began her three-year tenure at the helm of the department in 2019 but came under heavy criticism in recent months after a massive ramp-up of Operation Lone Star last fall led to pay issues, poor living conditions and a lack of appropriate gear for troops on the mission.

An investigation co-published by The Texas Tribune and Military Times found that many of the issues plaguing the mission were not only byproducts of the mission’s hasty expansion, but also similar to problems faced during the department’s last major state deployment, during Hurricane Harvey.

One of the Republican opponents Abbott beat in this month’s gubernatorial primary, Allen West, criticized Norris’ handling of the mission and called for her resignation in January. In February, a leaked morale survey revealed major dissatisfaction among troops, with more than half of the service members surveyed expressing skepticism or frustration with the mission.

Abbott did not acknowledge criticism of Norris in his statement, instead thanking her for her work with the department. Her predecessor as adjutant general of the department served for nearly seven years.

“General Norris faithfully served the Texas Military Department with dignity, as Adjutant General beginning in January 2019, as Assistant Adjutant General in 2016, and over her decades of service,” Abbott said in a statement. “I thank General Norris for her exceptional service to the State of Texas and am honored to appoint her successor, Major General Thomas Suelzer, as the Adjutant General of Texas. General Suelzer brings a wealth of military experience to this new role, and I am confident that he will uphold the integrity of the Texas Military Department and exemplify servant leadership throughout every aspect of this position.”

Being an election year, the opposition party has much to say on the issue. If you’d like to hear Beto’s take on the issue, check the source at Army Times.