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Increased NATO air power in the Balkans may require mobilizing some U.S. reservists  ALSO Week 4 begins; NATO warns attacks could continue for months U.S. tab likely to increase by billions Song honors captured U.S. soldiers; proceeds to benefit refugee relief  MESSAGE BOARD Crisis in Kosovo RELATED VIDEO CNN's Rusty Dornin is aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, where the flight deck is a busy and dangerous place (April 14) Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K

April 14, 1999
Web posted at: 2:51 p.m. EDT (1851 GMT)

In this story: Attack helicopter request doubled No order yet for reservists Mission: Attack Yugoslavia's air defenses RELATED STORIES, SITES

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, South Carolina (CNN) -- As more U.S. warplanes left for Europe on Wednesday, the Pentagon announced that "several thousand" reservists likely would be called up in support of NATO airstrikes against Yugoslavia.

The first of two dozen F-16 jet fighters took off from Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina before sunrise. Including support staff, a total of about 350 Air Force personnel from the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw were being deployed.

Also on Wednesday, three KC-10 refueling aircraft and 40 military personnel left McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey.

Attack helicopter request doubled

24 more U.S. Apache helicopters may join 24 already in Albania

Meantime, Pentagon sources confirmed that NATO's military commander, U.S. Army Gen. Wesley Clark, has requested an additional 24 Apache attack helicopters to join 24 already being sent to Albania.

The Apaches are intended as extra firepower against Serb tanks and other armored forces in Kosovo.

Clark's request, which is likely to be approved, would not just double the number of Apaches from 24 to 48, but would also double the number of ground troops to support them from about 2,600 to roughly 5,000.

The Pentagon says the first Apaches will arrive in Albania by this weekend, and will be based in the area of the capital city of Tirana.

No order yet for reservists

On Tuesday, Clark formally requested about 300 additional U.S. planes for the war effort. As a result, the several hundred Air National Guard members already participating as volunteers probably will not be enough to support the additional aircraft.

Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon said Wednesday that "several thousand" reservists likely would be ordered to active duty. He would not be more specific, and said Defense Secretary William Cohen had not yet made his formal recommendation to the White House.

About 22,000 active-duty U.S. forces are involved in the NATO operation to force the withdrawal of Yugoslav forces from the Serb province of Kosovo and allow refugees forced from their homes to return.

Mission: Attack Yugoslavia's air defenses

The mission of the F-16s leaving Shaw on Wednesday is to attack Yugoslavia's air defenses, said Col. Daniel Darnell, the commander of the 20th Fighter Wing.

"They're there to destroy or degrade any surface-to-air or (anti-aircraft artillery) threat an enemy might impose," he told CNN.

The base already has a half-dozen F-16s in Turkey, patrolling the northern no-fly zone over Iraq, base spokesman Maj. Laurent Fox said.

"This means we'll have about a third of our planes deployed (overseas)," he said.

Correspondents Mark Potter, Jamie McIntyre, Carl Rochelle and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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