BOHICA Blues Today: Grooming Substandards (Patreon)

Active Duty Army posts have barbers on them, and even a lot of the larger Reserve and National Guard posts do too. My home station in Boise, Idaho, is home to a brigade of National Guard, as well as an Air National Guard squadron, and some Reserve units as well as a few other government facilities. So even though it is mostly "weekenders", there is a sizeable full-time staff there, including a small post exchange where barbers work regular business hours.

However, there is always a running joke that the barbers that work on active duty posts are not exactly up to the standards one can expect of civilian barbers. They are frequently the "haircut of last resort".

I suppose it has to do with the need for speed when it comes to cutting hair during brief lunchtimes... that, and the fact that if you've come to the on-post barber, someone higher ranking than you has already given you a stern warning about your grooming standards and you're sort of a captive audience.

So it's "zip-zip-zip" with the clippers-- get it off the ears, make sure it isn't touching the collar, and good luck to you, sir.

One wonders where they come from, and this was my guess.

If you're lucky enough to have a good on-post barber that takes care of you... well, you are one of the fortunate ones.