COLUMBIA - Now the whole world knows that S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford is headed for two weeks of Air Force reserve training later this month.

Sanford, who has been in office two months, was invited to talk about his upcoming absence from Columbia in an interview Thursday on CNN. He had announced his intentions to the people of the state, legislators and local news media in January. Sanford is a 1st lieutenant in the 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base.

Although about 15 of the unit's 120 reservists have so far been ordered to active duty as part of preparation for a possible war with Iraq, Sanford is headed for Alabama. He will go through a two-week course for newly-commissioned officers at Maxwell Air Force Base just outside Montgomery.

Sanford received his commission on Jan. 30, 2002, as he campaigned for governor.

Sanford, 42, will take courses in military law, customs, discipline and other aspects of service, and he will have to complete a three-mile run. He'll also have to take up to 11 weeks of training for his job as a medical administrator, but that work can be completed through a correspondence course.

He came under criticism in South Carolina for saying, shortly after his Jan. 15 inauguration, that he was thinking of resigning his Air Force commission if he were faced with going on an extended tour of active duty.

Sanford later called a news conference to announce that if his unit were called up, he would leave the governor's office in the hands of Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who has held the mostly ceremonial position only since January. Bauer is 33.

During the CNN interview, Sanford expressed confidence in Bauer's ability. However, he will not be turning over the reins to Bauer for the two weeks he will be in Alabama.

Rather, Sanford will depend on his staff, headed by state government veteran Fred Carter, to deal with Cabinet officers and lawmakers in his absence. Sanford told S.C. journalists in January that he expects to keep in daily contact with his aides by telephone and e-mail.

S.C. governors' powers are much more limited than those of many states' chief executives, so state business is likely to be largely unaffected by Sanford's temporary absence.

He told CNN that his wife, Jenny, might be part of the management team while he was gone.

Jenny Sanford, a former New York investment banker, managed her husband's election campaign and served on his transition team.