(Columbia) March 11, 2003 - South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford will soon be better known as 1st Lieutenant Sanford. WIS News 10 has confirmed the governor is headed to Air Force Reserve Training in Alabama.

The two week training begins on March 23rd at Maxwell Air Force Base. A Sanford spokesman says power will not be transferred to Lt. Governor Andre Bauer while the governor's away.

Sanford will be at Reserve Commissioned Officers Training at Maxwell Air Force Base near Montgomery, Alabama. It is one of two courses Sanford must complete to be qualified. He has already fulfilled weekend training. He's an entry level health services administrator.

He's asked the Air Force not to allow reporters or cameras to follow him as he completes the two weeks of work, "I think it's absurd that you can suggest that you can have a normal training cycle with a half dozen TV cameras following you. It would be unfair to the people I'm training beside to interrupt what would have been a normal training day for them."

In February, about 15 reservists from Sanford's unit, the 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, were called to active duty, though the governor was not among them. Those called up were mostly flight nurses and medical technicians.

Lieutenant Colonel Chris King says the squadron has about 120 members. He said at the time he knew of no plans to call up the governor. Sanford has said he would follow any mobilization orders to meet his military obligations.

Representative Doug Smith (R) Spartanburg, says it shouldn't be a problem with modern technology, "Being the governor, you've got to juggle so many balls and I think he's able to do that."

Representative Jerry Govan (D) Orangeburg, says a governor taking two weeks away is unprecedented with the budget hitting the floor this week, "There's too much going on with our current budget crisis for us to have split attention."

Reactions were mixed from people WIS spoke to. Some like Paul Harrison of Sumter say it's a short time to be away from the state and the training is a commitment, "I think he'll do a great job. E-mail, over the phone. Telegram if he had to." Others like Diane Argabright of Columbia fear two weeks away is just the beginning, "If he gets called up, I think we have an issue. The state has a lot of problems. We need a governor."

The governor was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the squadron, stationed at Charleston Air Force Base, on January 30th, 2002. Critics called his commission a political move. Sanford says he started the process two years earlier, before he decided to run for governor.

The Republican said in late January he will honor his military commitment to show his sons about service and keeping his word. Sanford says he would not resign as governor if he were on an extended deployment, and he may seek a court's opinion about whether the state constitution prohibits him from keeping his commission.

If Sanford were called up, Lt. Governor Bauer, 33, could become acting governor.

By Megan Hughes
Updated 7:26pm by BrettWitt