COLUMBIA, S.C. - A year ago, gubernatorial candidate Mark Sanford joined the Air Force Reserve and critics accused him of using military service for political gain.

Now, the new governor is deciding how - or if - he'll honor his military commitment, igniting a new wave of criticism that's playing out on editorial pages around the state. Sanford says he can't deploy if his squadron is called to action.

The unit has not been notified it will be called up, said. Col. Chris King, an Air Force Reserve spokesman in Charleston.

Some of the toughest criticism came recently from retired Maj. Edgar Gomez, a former chief administrator from Sanford's 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.

News that Sanford is considering options, including resigning, touched a nerve.

"Now? When the possibility of our country's finest being called to serve has never been more likely? Why, is he scared?" Gomez wrote in a letter to the editor in The State two weeks ago. "It occurs to me that now that he has the governorship, this distasteful move at resume padding has served its purpose."

"My only concern was he decides coincidentally to get out - like he made a mistake," Gomez told The Associated Press.

Sanford said Monday he read Gomez's letter but refused to comment on it specifically.

"I've read every letter to the editor, and I personally have called every person who wrote a letter to the editor," Sanford said. However he said he had not called Gomez, and he said he left a message for some of the writers, never knowing whether he reached the right person.

Sanford wouldn't say whether he had made a decision about his future in the military. "I would say, 'Stay tuned,'" he said.

King said the governor has been considering holding a news conference to talk about his Reserve status. Sanford, who took office Jan. 15, currently is part of a medical support unit.

Gomez retired from the Reserves in 1998 and lives in Gilbert, working as a software engineer. He maintains a high view of military service, saying it is "the most noble thing one can do."

And that view extends to the medical service squadron that tends to planes and logistics, not patients. "Those guys at that squadron don't just put in two days a month and two weeks a year. There's a lot of God and country that's put out there," Gomez said.

The medical service corps is "the easiest appointment in the U.S. Air Force" and a clear shot at an officer's commission, making the positions highly sought, Gomez said.

Political questions surrounded news of Sanford's decision to join the Air Force Reserve, including whether Sanford, a former congressman, had wielded influence to gain his commission as a second lieutenant on Jan. 30, 2002.

Sanford says he began checking into military service during his third U.S. House term. He said along the way he received no special treatment.

He said he visited a military liaison office on Capitol Hill. "And originally ... they put me into the Navy because I'm from Charleston and I'm a coastal boy and I'm used to being around water," Sanford said.

That job would have involved becoming an information officer assigned to an aircraft carrier, "but it was very haphazard as to when you would or wouldn't go" on duty, Sanford said.

"Then I ended up checking out the Air Force, and they put me in touch with a recruiter from Dobbins Air Force Base, and they walked me through the process," he said.

At the time, Sanford said he was not considering a gubernatorial bid.

Since joining, Sanford has met his weekend drill obligations but has not completed the training he needs for the job. King said that's not Sanford's fault since training slots have been unavailable or money wasn't available when slots were open.

Getting out could become tougher than getting in, however. With the possibility of war in Iraq on the horizon, the Pentagon could close the door to reservists and active duty personnel leaving the service, Gomez said.

That happened when the U.S. took action against the Taliban in Afghanistan, King said.

At the time, no one could leave the service unless they'd reached age 60, he said. That prohibition is "not in effect now and there is no indication that it's going to be," King said.