28 local reservists called

Twenty-eight reservists from the U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center in Cape Girardeau have been activated to aid in the campaign against terrorism.

Lt. Commander Merv Dial, commanding officer at the center, confirmed that 24 men and four women have been called up from one of the four units made up of 170 part-time reservists.

What he would not say was where the activated reservists -- comprised of enlisted security officers, logistic managers and an administration team -- are headed or what their role would be. He also would not release any of their names. He said only that they will leave any day.

"Just know that they're going from weekend to full-time duty," Dial said. "They're getting their things in order now. They're taking care of business. They're making themselves ready to be away from home for a while."

On Thursday, the center at 2530 Maria Louise Lane was swarming with activity as military personnel came and went. Sailors in dress whites or camouflage, some accompanied by family, scurried across the center grounds for much of the afternoon.

"No comment," said one soldier who refused to turn around as he walked away from the facility near Arena Park. "I can't talk about it."

Others also declined comment.

Normally the center is open to Boy Scouts, those seeking driver's licenses and other civilians. But on Thursday the gates were closed, and uniformed guards made sure only military personnel were allowed inside.

Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Holton, the mobilization public-affairs officer, said the reservists were activated Wednesday and were at the center Thursday readying for deployment. That includes taking care of such matters as finances, insurance, inoculations, physicals, and legal and family issues.

"That's happening pretty quickly," Holton said, "because basically, it's our job to be ready on a moment's notice. We try to make sure they don't have any worries here at home."

Asked if the reservists would be put in danger, Holton said: "No matter what they do, they'll be going into harm's way. They're protecting America."

Dial said he did not know how long the reservists would be away, but he echoed President Bush, who said last week to be ready for a lengthy war.

Dial said all of the reservists wonder whether they will be called up.

"They're wondering, 'Are we going to be next?'" Dial said. "I imagine it's pretty stressful. These guys, a phone call comes in the middle of the night, and they have to go."

There's a good reason for secrecy about the mission, said Lt. John Folostrat, a spokesman for the Naval Reserve in New Orleans, which oversees the Cape Girardeau naval center.

"It's a security issue, plain and simple, to protect the mission and protect them," he said. "It would tip the enemy, whoever that might be, and put them in danger and their families."

The Naval Reserve Training Center was formed in Cape Girardeau in the 1940s. Reservists met at a sheet-metal Quonset hut at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. They moved to their present quarters in the 1970s.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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