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GREAT LAKES (NNS) – Alvin Tharbs is finally hanging up his clippers at the Recruit Training Command (RTC) barbershop.
“I really love what I do,” said Tharbs, who retires on July 1. “That’s how I’ve been able to be there 26 years.”
Tharbs’ start at RTC coincided with female recruits shipping for the time to Great Lakes, which in 1994 became the Navy’s only boot camp.
“I’m the last one left from that time. The last of the originals,” he said with laugh.
Tharbs, 60, was employed at a retail store salon when he met Petty Officer Vanessa Howard, who mentioned the Navy Exchange had an open position for a barber.
“I had worked a few years at several downtown Chicago shops and had experience cutting and styling both men’s and women’s hair. I figured I’d give it a try,” he said.
Tharbs said the best thing about his job is seeing recruits transition from civilians into Sailors.
“Just to see them coming in raw, and then you see it,” he said. “They get four haircuts. At first, you see them unsure and afraid and then every two weeks you see them a little more confident in themselves. You see the transformation. You see the military bearing beginning to take hold. It’s the start of their career and they just have this energy about them.”
Closing in on retirement, Tharbs is hard-pressed to guess at the number of haircuts he’s given. He mentions a recent discussion with Chief Cryptologic Technician Santos Colon Jr., who estimated Tharbs’ total at about 700,000.
“I feel like it’s about a million,” Tharbs said. “My joke is that I’m like McDonald’s. They have the sign that says how many they’ve served – well, I’ve served about a million.”
Tharbs says he’s leaving RTC with fond memories of the many staff members and Recruit Division Commanders (RDCs) he’s met through the years.
“It’s just not a work relationship,” Tharbs said. “They’ll have the grills out at the ships and invite you to come over. They’ve invited me to share Thanksgiving with them and other events. They’re supportive. Some of them have brought cookies or jerky that they’ve made over to the barbershop. Man, it’s a beautiful thing. It’s like a family.”
Tharbs said he’s given haircuts to most of the RTC commanding officers during his long career. Captain Erik Thors, the current RTC CO, remains a customer despite their first meeting.
“At the time, I knew we had a new captain, but I didn’t know who he was,” Tharbs explained. “One day, someone came in the backdoor of the shop. I’m like, ‘Who are you? You’ve got to go around the front!’ I’m thinking to myself, man, this guy is really trying me. He’s sitting in the chair and it wasn’t until I saw his driver standing at the backdoor that I put it together – that’s Captain Thors!”
Tharbs' skills and affable personality have made a lasting impression.
“We appreciate the tremendous effort and flexibility the barber staff bring to the RTC mission. They are very reliable, always there, dependable, friendly, and professional, not to mention they play good music while you’re getting a haircut,” Thors said. “Mr. Tharbs represents all those traits and more. I appreciate that he greets everyone with a smile and positive attitude; it really makes a big difference in our command climate and quality Sailor that walks out of our gates. Thank you for your service Mr. Tharbs!”
The gregarious Tharbs answers questions about challenging parts of the job or mistakes he’s made along the way with a broad grin.
“No, no … maybe getting to work in the winter? That’s always a challenge. But the job itself? No, there’s nothing,” he said. “I’ve been able to meet all different cultures and people. I still enjoy it.”
Susan Phillips, lead barber at the RTC Barbershop, described Tharbs as a dependable extrovert.
“He came to work every day and did his job,” Phillips said. “He’s a very boisterous and outgoing person.”
So why did Tharbs decide to retire now?
“It’s time,” he said. “Age. There’s a lot of standing; I’ve had two knee surgeries. When you first start, you’re a beginner. Then you learn the game and prosper. By the time you get to 26 years, you pretty much know everything there is to know.”
He laughs and says his only retirement goal is “to do absolutely nothing.”
“I’ll do that for a while and when I get bored, maybe I’ll travel,” Tharbs said. “I want to hang around with my grandkids, ride my bike, and enjoy my time.”
Boot camp is approximately eight weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms, firefighting and shipboard damage control along with lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline. More than 35,000 recruits are trained annually at RTC and begin their Navy careers.
For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/rtc
| Date Taken: | 07.03.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 12.17.2020 12:50 |
| Story ID: | 385217 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 268 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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