BOND URGES CLINTON IN LETTER TO MAINTAIN NATIONAL GUARD

U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond has urged president-elect Bill Clinton to maintain the National Guard in the new administration's national defense strategy.

"While providing a very low-cost federal military capability, the Guard also provides the states and our nation with a widely-dispersed, community-based response force for natural disasters, civil disturbances and year-round federal, state and community programs," Bond wrote in a letter to Clinton.

Bond and Sen. Wendell Ford, D-Ky., are co-chairmen of the Senate National Guard Caucus. Both wrote the letter to Clinton. The new administration will put forward a defense budget early next year with a restructuring plan for the armed forces.

The senators wrote: "We hope that your new leadership team in the Department of Defense will approach this issue with an open mind so that we can work together to resolve the issue of future force mix within our total defense forces. Members of the caucus are convinced it is time to review the overall force requirements."

Over the past year Bond has helped maintain Guard units in 29 Missouri communities at their current level.

"It is time to stop the annual battles and establish a program that provides the best mix of military forces for our nation so that we can meet both our foreign and domestic requirements at the lowest cost to the taxpayer," Bond said.