When the call comes to deploy to active duty, there's one proper response for a reservist, Gov. Mark Sanford said Wednesday.

"For everybody else, the answer is just, 'Yes, sir.' Period," Sanford said. "And the answer for me today has to be, 'Yes, sir.' Period."

Sanford, a first lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve, said his decision to honor his military commitment has been an enormous personal struggle.

A husband, father of four sons and governor for less than a month, Sanford said his struggle involved much prayer and consultation with his wife, Jenny.

The ramifications of deployment are not just to his family, but to 4 million residents of the state that he leads.

"There's been no easy answer, given the huge responsibility that's been placed on us given the governorship," Sanford said during a 40-minute news conference in his office Wednesday morning, his wife by his side. "This is the part I struggled with the most. What people want and people expect and people hope for in the legislative process is a degree of trust."

Sanford was commissioned an officer in the 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron in January 2002, nearly nine months after he announced his bid for governor.

But Sanford, 42, said he began the process of joining the Reserve before leaving the U.S. House in 2001 after three terms representing the coastal 1st District.

During the campaign for governor in 2002, Sanford's Air Force status became a political issue. His critics said he joined purely as a political gimmick to make up for what they called a weak voting record on military issues in Congress. He and his supporters objected to that characterization.

But by October 2002, Sanford was hinting that he might have to resign his commission if elected because he didn't think the governor should leave the state for what could be an extended period. He also had not been able to complete all the training the Air Force requires, because space had not been available in the necessary classes.

After the election, Sanford was pressed repeatedly by reporters for a decision. Newspapers carried letters to the editor from military personnel and civilians criticizing or defending Sanford.

Finally, on Tuesday, Sanford announced he would honor his commitment should his unit be called up.

On Wednesday, Sanford said he had no idea if or when the unit would be activated.

No Air Force Reserve unit nationally has been activated, said Lt. Col. Audrey Bahler, public information officer for the Reserve.

If his unit is activated, however, Sanford said he would send a letter to the speaker of the House and the Senate president pro tem, as the constitution requires, turning over control of the state to Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.

If he leaves, Sanford said he's confident his agenda will not suffer. He said he and Bauer discussed the issue Tuesday and Sanford is confident Bauer will work for Sanford's agenda, not Bauer's.

The governor's four sons - ages 4 to 10 - are supportive, but worried, Jenny Sanford said.

"I am and remain completely supportive of his decision, as are the boys," Jenny Sanford said, adding that the boys' response was "the typical boy response: 'If you go, we're going to pray and we're going to cry.'‘"

A month ago, when his military future was unclear, Sanford said his first priority had to be the people of South Carolina, who elected him to the state's highest office. This week he said that hasn't changed, but neither had his personal beliefs.

"There is a real disconnect between the rights that go with being an American and the responsibilities that go with being an American in our country today," Sanford said. "I believe every American, in some form or another, needs to be vested in the American system, other than paying taxes.

"Whether it be military or civilian, some sort of service is a core belief for me."

Sanford said he applauded bills introduced in Congress by U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., and U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., that would reinstate the military draft. He also said he wants his four sons to serve in the military in some capacity.

It also would send the wrong message, Sanford said, if the governor avoided a commitment to serve. Others with less power have no choice, he said, and where does the line get drawn?

Should doctors or lawyers be able to avoid service, he said, because they "have perhaps a greater societal responsibility than a kid living in Allendale or a kid living in McCormick County with, frankly, few financial or educational opportunities"?

Still, Sanford said, he realizes that his life is more complicated as governor.

"My values are who I am," Sanford said. "My values are who the people of South Carolina elected. My values will greatly impact whether we're able to pull off change."

Sanford said his military role is not a dangerous one. A health services administrator, he would work to prepare C-17 cargo planes for transporting wounded.

"They don't send C-17s directly into harm's way," he said. "They're very expensive planes. The people who have gone and really taken tremendous personal risk are the ones on the front line. This unit is not on the front lines."