Washington, D.C. -- Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) pledged his assistance to ensure that Congress provides the necessary funding to protect the men and women serving in the Army and Air National Guard units as they are sent on missions in Kosovo and elsewhere to protect the interests of the United States. Cochran's remarks came during a Defense Appropriations hearing held today to discuss the fiscal year 2000 budget for the National Guard.

"We understand the stresses that you are under now trying to match the needs that you have with the funding available under this president's budget. We're pleased to see some increases in the budget this year to reflect the growing importance of air and army national guard units," Cochran said to senior National Guard officials.

Cochran assured the senior military officials at the hearing that "we're going to do everything we can to be sure that the Congress responds to ensure that you have the funds you need to do your job."

Cochran acknowledged that the Guard commanders were busy complying with the call up order issued by the Department of Defense and mentioned that there were already Guard and reserve forces supporting the Kosovo mission, including the 186th Air Refueling Wing based in Meridian, Mississippi.

The Senator questioned Lt. General Russell C. Davis, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, about what the Guard was doing to assist families and employers when National Guard and reserve personnel are called to duty. Davis responded that they were holding seminars and working to educate families and employers about what is happening and why it is necessary to have their employees away, while providing suggestions about how to handle an employee's absence.

Cochran also discussed the planned enhancement of the multi-purpose range at Camp Shelby and questioned Major General Roger C. Schultz, Director of the Army National Guard, about the importance of the improved range to Guard readiness and urged the Committee to support the needed funding for completion of the project.

General Schultz said that the ranges at Camp Shelby are considered a "treasure" in terms of resources for training soldiers. He said that the Guard Bureau is working on phase three of the project and that the environmental impact statement was completed.

Cochran also discussed the timetable for deployment of the new C-17 aircraft to the Mississippi Air National Guard's 172nd Airlift Wing in Jackson, which will be the first guard unit in the country to receive the aircraft. He questioned the Director of the Air National Guard, Major General Paul A. Weaver, about the possibility that the C-17's would be delivered earlier than expected. General Weaver assured the Senator that the Guard is preparing to accept the C-17's, not only on time, but possibly ahead of schedule.