Governor Signs Statement Supporting National Guard

Governor Bob Holden has signed a statement of support for the National Guard and Reserve. At least one official says the act is more than symbolic. Governor Holden signed the statement at the urging of the chairman of the Missouri Committee of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Stuart Symington says most businesses realize federal law requires they allow Guardsmen to return to their regular jobs after their service, but a few do not. He says the action isn’t just symbolic. Missouri guardsmen are working security at airports and the Winter Olympics as well as at Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Riley, Kansas. There is also a deployment in Kosovo.