Troops wearing camouflaged military uniforms and bearing 9 mm pistols will stand watch as passengers run luggage through scanners and hustle to their flights.

About 150 Guardsmen from across the state will spread out over nine different airports for the next six months, said Col. Bill Thomas, Sky Guard Task Force commander.

Since the terrorist attacks, airports have tightened security, but the Federal Aviation Administration doesn't have enough forces to cover smaller, regional airports such as Savannah, Augusta or Athens, Col. Thomas said.

''We're going to be working for the FAA,'' he said. ''We're going to be their eyes on the ground. We are to make sure the local contract scanners are doing their jobs as required and there are no slip-ups.''

The Guard and FAA also hope the extra security will increase the public's confidence in airports and flying, Col. Thomas said.

The orders to report for the airport security detail came quickly for the Georgia Guard. President Bush announced his intentions for the airport guards last Thursday; by Monday, 150 National Guard volunteers reported for training at the Combat Readiness Training Center in Savannah.

The Guardsmen will be assigned to work at airports near their hometowns so they won't be away from their families, Col. Thomas said.

They dropped regular jobs and other National Guard duties to attend a weeklong crash course on law enforcement. The FAA taught the Guardsmen everything from identifying homemade bombs to laws about airports and their security.

Other National Guardsmen gave quick lessons on detaining suspects and crowd control while others taught the volunteers how to use 9 mm pistols.

The trick to teaching security skills in a four-day course is repetition, said Sgt. 1st Class Dave Lopez, who teaches at the Georgia Guard's Regional Training Center in Macon and serves on the state's anti-drug task force.