CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (USTCNS) --- For those people searching for a little wisdom and guidance in their lives, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., will establish its first ever mentor tent on the flightline for Air Expo 2000, Oct. 14.

The idea for a mentor tent was adopted from an airshow at Charleston AFB's sister wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Instead of gearing the mentor tent to just kids, like MacDill AFB, the base leadership here decided it was best to appeal to everyone. This mentor tent will include a cadre of available enlisted and officer members in uniform to meet with the public and discuss the Air Force lifestyle.

"We've established this mentor tent to kickoff Air Mobility Command's Year of Recruiting and Retention," said Capt. Ita Udoaka, chief of logistics plans and Air Expo 2000 project officer for the mentor tent. "Our goal is to inform people about what we do here at Charleston AFB and the different career fields that support Team Charleston's mission."

The tent will be staffed with at least three to four people from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Various senior enlisted members, squadron and group commanders will stop in periodically during the day to meet with the public one-on-one and to show some leadership presence. The tent will also contain a variety of brochures and items related to the base's mission and the Air Force.

"We'll have a good mix of junior and senior, enlisted and officer members in the mentor tent," Udoaka said. "We have found that the younger people usually want to speak with someone who just finished basic training and who has similar experiences. We will have people in the tent who have a deep sense of duty, honor and country and who are good at telling the Air Force story."

Along with the mentor tent, Udoaka is gathering a group of Air Force members to speak at local schools and share the Air Force story.

"While at the schools, we'll talk about not only the mentor tent and the air expo, but also our jobs, the Air Force and the importance of them staying in school and getting good grades," said Udoaka.

"Right now, I have about eight mentors signed up and that should be enough to cover the air expo," he continued. "Any more volunteers will go out into the schools to promote the air expo and meet with the kids. Our biggest criterion in selecting folks is that they have a strong desire to mentor kids and to serve their country."

An experienced mentor, Master Sgt. Barbara Sullivan, superintendent of the 437th Medical Support Squadron, who has volunteered to be a mentor for the expo, said that she has learned from previous mentor booths that people oftentimes have misperceptions about pay, benefits and the Air Force in general.

"Some people think we don't pay taxes on our pay and all of our housing is provided free," Sullivan said. "Others think that the only people in the Air Force are pilots, and they are surprised to learn the Air Force offers a variety of support career areas." (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).