The Army Recruitment Office by Luke Travis

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In the last story Julian had been going to Mrs Burrell to have his haircut, he was now eighteen and had not had his hair cut short for quite some time. He had always been fascinated by the army recruitment office, the thought of all those very short haircuts really excited him. On this particular day young Julian didn’t just walk past but walked in, the recruitment officer sat behind his desk.

"How can I help?"

"I am here to find a bit more out about the army"

"You’ve come to the right place; we can answer all your questions here"

"That would be good Sir"

The recruitment officer invited Julian to sit down and he asked Julian a few questions before showing him some of the brochures pertaining to life in the army and exuding the benefits for a young man like Julian.

"Any questions Julian?"

"I don’t think so Sir"

Truth be told Julian wanted to ask about having his haircut especially admiring the very short cut on the recruiting officer.

"Well why don’t you take these brochures away and have a good read and if you are still interested, we can get the application forms done here and sent off right away…don’t worry old lad you’re not committed until we make the formal offer after your official interview and medical at HQ and you sign up"

"Thank you, Sir"
Julian left with the brochures knowing that there was a very slim chance that he would even consider doing this but with his haircut fetish ever present there was something about the army and haircuts and the recruitment officer was making his heart beat a little faster. It was just two days later he was back at the recruitment centre where after another meeting with recruitment officer he was sat at the back of the office at a desk to fill in the application forms. Having once again been reassured that there was no commitment or obligation being made on Julian’s part. On completion the recruitment officer sat with Julian and read through everything, asking him a couple of questions as they went through it.

"So, this will go in the post tonight and you should hear back about the interview in the next few days"

"Perhaps I should get my haircut for the interview Sir"

"No perhaps about it, Julian"

"Yes Sir"

"When you get your interview date call me, I will already have been notified so I will arrange for you to see the barber and get a regulation haircut"
Julian’s heart skipped a beat

"The barber Sir?

"Yes, we have a couple of army barbers who can take care of it…we don’t want to trust it to a civilian do we?"

"No Sir"

"Good lad, in the meantime enjoy having your hair the length it is"

"Yes Sir"

Julian left the recruitment centre, and spent the next few days day dreaming about an army haircut, he did however feel guilty that his intention to actually sign up was non-existent and how much of the recruitment officer’s time he was wasting. Two weeks later he received a letter advising him of the interview date and later he the next day he received a telephone call from the recruitment office from another officer there. It was a curt phone call telling him to report to the office the day before at 10.00 a.m. Julian was quite happy with the abrupt manner and pleased to be called by his Surname as well. When he got there the recruitment officer he had always seen was there and called him Daniels for the first time. He then took Julian through to the room at the back where a young man in army camouflage was, he looked mean.

"This is Daniels, private Smith the ten o’clock"

"Hello Daniels are you all set for tomorrow?"

"I think so Sir"

"We’re sending eight of you up this week for interview and assessment, that’s why I’m here today to give you all haircuts"

"Your lucky day Daniels, Private Smith is one of the best"

"Yes Sir"

The private put his hand on the swivel office chair and told Julian to sit down, the recruitment officer told Julian they would have a chat after and then he left the room.

"Sit up straight Daniels you’re not at the poodle parlour now"

Julian immediately sat bolt upright to attention as the private fastened the white cape around him, he thought of all the times he had yearned for a strict male barber to cut his hair. The private pushed his head right down

"Sit still and take what’s coming like a man"

He barked as he took his electric clippers and sprang them to life, the humming got louder for Julian as he brought them to the back of his head. He felt the cold metal, and the army barber started to clip the back of his head, he pushed the clippers hard against Julian’s head. The soft fair hair just fell away leaving a short stubble, private Smith really enjoyed giving new and also prospective new recruits their introduction to the army haircuts. He loved the power it gave him, especially when the victim was not that keen to have his haircut or as the many that dreaded what was going to be done. He had never once regretted opting to learn this trade when it was available to him after he joined the army. With his hand taking a firm grip on Julian’s hair on the top of his head he pulled his head to the side. Holding it there he began to strip away the hair above Julian’s ear, boy is this guy tough Julian thought, he had admired his powerful legs when he first saw him. On completion of the first ear, he jerked his head the other way and began to remove the hair above Julian’s other ear.

"Not so bad was it, Daniels?"

"No Sir"

Private Smith stood in front of Julian with his legs astride with scissors and comb in his hand ready to cut the hair on the top. With determine snips of the scissors the hair fell onto the cape as the army barber unceremoniously cut Julian’s hair short on the top of his head. Some of the soft fair hair fell onto his face as it made its way to the cape, then came the shaving of his neck with a traditional flat razor, the uncomfortable scraping of the sharp razor on bare skin.

"Depending which training camp, you go to Daniels you might get me on joining up day"

"Yes Sir"

As Julian left the recruitment office and felt the bristly short stubble on the back of his head, he thought no haircut experience could ever be as good as this one.

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