Pomona Naval Reservists Called Overseas for Gulf Crisis

As part of the growing mobilization of U.S. military reserve forces, 14 cargo handlers based at the Pomona Naval Reserve Center were activated Sunday, with orders to leave within the week for an unspecified overseas post.

Another four cargo handlers from the Santa Barbara Naval Reserve Center also were activated Sunday, with orders to report to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in the next few days.

The activation of the 18 reservists, the only ones mobilized Sunday in the Naval Reserve’s Southern California region, brings to at least 583 the number of Navy reserve personnel called up from Southern California since Friday, as part of the U.S. response to the Persian Gulf crisis.

The Pomona group, part of Detachment 119 of the Military Sealift Command, was notified Sunday that their unit will depart Friday and could spend up to 90 days on duty.

The unit is the first to be activated out of the Pomona reserve center, which also includes medical, engineering, communications, supply and naval weapons units.

“I’m sure they expected this,” said Jack Salmon, the duty petty officer at the reserve center Sunday. “They weren’t overly surprised when they came in this morning.”

The Santa Barbara group is from Military Sealift Command’s Eastern Pacific Detachment 119.