CHARLESTON - Gov. Mark Sanford and other state officials travel to Washington next week to defend South Carolina's military bases as a new round of base closings approaches.

The delegation will meet on Monday with senior Pentagon officials representing the Army, Navy and Air Force, said Sanford's spokesman Will Folks.

The group will stress that instead of closing S.C. bases, the state's military facilities are capable of taking on additional tasks.

"If you look at the governor's efforts since taking office, his message has been pretty clear," Folks said. "South Carolina has a number of facilities that are capable of expanded missions."

Tuesday, President Bush will submit a list of candidates for the new Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The commission will have a key role in deciding which of the roughly 425 domestic military bases should be closed, expanded or restructured.

Mayors of S.C. cities with military bases have been invited to make the trip with Sanford.

South Carolina suffered hits in the last two rounds of closings.

The Myrtle Beach Air Force Base closed in 1993, resulting in the loss of an estimated 3,900 military and civilian jobs. The Charleston Naval Base and shipyard were closed in the next round of closings.