RESERVISTS CALLED UP; 33,000 TO ACTIVE DUTY BECAUSE OF KOSOVO

While many Southeast Missouri residents oppose the use of ground troops in Kosovo, President Clinton asked for more than 33,000 reservists to report to active duty Tuesday.

The Pentagon will order 33,102 reservists to active duty for the Kosovo conflict.

The announcement marked the first nonvoluntary call-up of reservists since the Kosovo conflict began March 24.

One thousand reservists mostly from the Air National Guard have volunteered their service in the last few weeks. But many more troops will be needed as NATO expands its attacks and support aircraft in the Balkans.

There were no Missouri troops called to active duty. "We were not identified at the press conference," said Capt. David S. Kolarik of the Missouri National Guard.

It isn't certain how many of the reservists, if any, would be called to the Balkans or how many would work at bases in Europe and the United States.

Missouri reservists didn't expect to be among the first troops called, "but there is always the possibility," Kolarik said. "And we are well trained in the event that we do get called."

About 2,000 members of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve in eight states will be mobilized.

"These reserves are essential to America's military strength. They are part of the total force we bring to bear whenever our men and women in uniform are called to action," Clinton said.

Area recruiters say the conflict in Kosovo hasn't affected their enlistment numbers.

"You can't ever tell," said 1st Sgt. Harlan Dobbs of the Army recruiting office. "Sometimes it goes against and sometimes there is a surge" of enlistments.

While the number of recruits has been on a national decline, local recruitment offices don't see much of a decrease. Overall, the Army has a 42 percent re-enlistment rate, Dobbs said.

He said many of the newest recruits aren't coming straight out of high school; most have tried college for a year or two and are looking for something different.

"There's more maturity going in," Dobbs said of new enlistments. "And they stay in."

Clinton also authorized the Air Force to freeze retirements and other voluntary departures from active duty in certain critical skills needed for the Kosovo operation. There were no figures on how many people would be stopped from leaving the service.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.