Presumably the Locator and Assignment records were available to other senior Guard officials.

In 1988, Mr. Quayle acknowledged that he asked a former Guard official to help him gain entry into the Guard.

In July, though, senior Guard officials rejected Mr. Bush's transfer, saying he had to continue with a "ready reserve unit," which requires monthly attendance.

A Guard spokesman defended the continuing discoveries, saying Guard officials did not find all of Bush's records because they were disorganized and in poor shape.

But instead it has been sending units every three to four years, according to Guard officials.

For a fixed sum, usually ranging from $20,000 to $250,000 depending on the company's size, the Guard officials produced a favorable audit.

As details of the scheme emerged this month, three Guard officials, have committed suicide.

For Guard officials, the proposed reductions represent a threat to their mission.

But details of their activities on Sept. 11 have emerged through interviews with other Guard officials.

In Kansas, the National Guard is operating with 40 percent to 50 percent of its vehicles and heavy machinery, local Guard officials said.