Citizen Soldiers Across the Country Say Farewell to Families and Report for Duty : Reserves: Some prepare to leave for Saudi Arabia. For others, the call-up is a matter of paperwork--for now.

Sporting a necktie emblazoned with tiny F-18 fighter planes, Jim Davenport reported Friday to his Air Force Reserve unit at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, leaving his wife and three children behind in Minneapolis.

Davenport is a pilot with the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 756th Military Airlift Squadron, one of the six cargo-hauling units called up as the first of the nation’s reservists mobilized for Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia.

And when he left for Maryland on Friday, he felt all the uncertainties of a soldier whose nation was on a war footing. Davenport could not predict when he would return to his regular job as a pilot for Northwest Airlines. And his family would have to make do with half his usual paycheck.

“I told them I’d be back when I get back,” Davenport said. “We’ve always gotten by. We’ll use some of our savings, and we’re going to cut back. You never have enough money, but you can figure out a way to make do.”

From Massachusetts to Mississippi to Texas, similar scenes were being played out by several hundred citizen soldiers reporting for active duty. There were also units mobilized in New York and New Jersey.

The reservists called up Friday are but an advance guard for what could be an initial contingent of almost 50,000 reservists. They could be sent either to Saudi Arabia or to American bases in the United States or Europe to fill the needs of the largest mobilization of forces since the Vietnam War.

Reserves were last fully called up 20 years ago, in response to a postal strike. And they have not been fully called up for any kind of military action since the Tet offensive in Vietnam in 1968.

That cargo haulers and handlers were called first was no surprise. Until the military buildup is complete, airlifting equipment, as well as the loading and unloading of cargo, are a top priority for an operation in which more than 100 planes are landing daily in Saudi Arabia.

Col. Michael Smith, director of resources management for the 136th Mobile Aerial Port Squadron in Dallas, said the consensus was that the squadron would be one of the first to be called.

“It was pretty obvious that their skills would be needed,” he said.

While the Texas squadron was gearing up for a departure that could still be several days away, the call-up was merely a formality for others who had already been unofficially mobilized. At several bases, including Andrews Air Force Base in Washington and Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Mass., many of the reservists called up Friday had already made at least one trip to Saudi Arabia, shuttling men and supplies on huge military cargo planes.

Lt. Joe Alto is normally a Washington-based pilot for American Airlines, but he had rushed to his reserve office at Andrews when President Bush announced on Aug. 7 that he was sending troops into Saudi Arabia.

“I’ve already spent eight days over in Saudi Arabia,” Alto said as he assisted in the registration of reservists Friday afternoon. “I’d estimate that 75% or maybe 80% of us have participated already in one flight or another. Most of us volunteered as soon as we heard about the deployment.”

At Westover, the call-up was also anticlimactic for some.

“We’ve been flying to the Middle East since the beginning of August,” said Airman Christine Mora, a base spokeswoman. “It’s kind of old hat.”

Back at Andrews, flight engineer trainer John Riccio said 22 crews from his unit had already been to the Middle East and that the total would surge to 40 by Sunday if all went according to plan.

Alto, the pilot, said that if the pattern remained the same, the crews would fly to another base and pick up supplies and troops. Then they would fly to Europe and rest for about 12 hours before going on to Saudi Arabia.

For those who were called up, Friday was more drudgery than drama as paperwork had to be filled out at bases around the country.

“Today, we’re processing personnel,” said Cindy Polk, a spokeswoman at the 183rd Military Airlift Squadron, Air National Guard, in Jackson, Miss.

As for California, Friday came and went without any call-ups, but two California Army National Guard trucking companies--the 181-soldier 1113th Transportation Co., based in Sacramento, and the 131-soldier 2668th Transportation Co., based in Fresno--have been put on alert for possible activation. Sgt. Gayle Smith said that many guardsmen had already called to volunteer.

“No one is upset--not yet,” she said.

Another California reserve unit, the Army’s 316th Quartermaster Co. based at Miramar Naval Air Station, San Diego, was also placed on alert at 1 p.m. Friday. The 100-member specialized unit is capable of storing and distributing water to a 10,000-soldier division.

Contributing to this story were Times staff writers Lee May in Atlanta, Jennifer Toth at McGuire AFB, N.J., Sam Fulwood III at Andrews AFB, Maura Reynolds in Washington, Scott Harris in Los Angeles, Jerry Gillam in Sacramento and Nancy Wride in Los Alamitos. It was written by J. Michael Kennedy in Houston.