A trackback, now and then, would be nice, but…no pressure.

Continuing in the vein of the last two weeks, more on the (mundane) life at sea: The SHs. Ship’s Servicemen. Function: Four main things, to me, a non-Supply type, looking at how it affected my life:

• Ship’s Barbers
• Ship’s Laundry
• Ship’s Store Operator
• “Gedunk” Machine Fillers

First: Ship’s Barbers - Yes, they cut hair. Somewhere on the ship, there is a small to medium sized space, in my case I have seen from 3 chairs (on an AOR) to one (DDs/FFGs). On the door, the day’s appointment times, maybe tomorrows, too. Walk by and scribble your name in the 15 minute block. Some ships allow call in appointments to all, some to officers and chiefs. The shop isn’t open 24/7, but usually human like “business hours” and some evening periods, too. For me, an an XO, the Barber shop had more than one purpose. It was a 15 minute Q&A period with an SH1, plenty seasoned and with a finger on the pulse of the crew, where information flowed both directions. He would clue me in on issues not getting a fair shot, I could provide more detailed explanations for situations/operations for the general edification of those not getting the gouge via the chain of command, or in need of clarification. It was a great safety valve. Not only was this a feature I used, but one day, the CO asked me to schedule him for a haircut. I later provided him the time. That evening, as we sat after 8 o’clock reports covering the day, he commented: When you set me up for a haircut, it’s with SH1….we smiled, knowing why. Done, was the response, and it always was henceforth.

Readers: Got a good “sea story” about the barbers aboard? Drop it off in the comments. I know there are plenty. Other SH stories? Hold them and come back weekly to connect them to the functional areas above, please! The last week of SH stories will be noted and then batteries released for any topics not covered.

Next week: The Ship’s Laundry and activating the bleach.