Rice makes Rawah hair battle-ready

Photo By Spc. Richard Vogt | Sgt. Kevin Rice, a combat medical specialist with the 4th Battalion, 14th Cavalry sculpts the hair on Spc. Peter Geoghegan's head. (photo by Spc. Richard Vogt, 138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Feb. 27, 2006.)  

RAWAH, IRAQ

03.13.2006

Courtesy Story

345th Public Affairs Detachment

Spc. Richard Vogt
138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

RAWAH, Iraq (Feb. 27, 2006) -- Sergeant Kevin Rice discovered a way to make the time go by quicker at Combat Outpost Rawah. He uses his haircutting talent to shape the desert-worn hair of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who bring security to the Euphrates River Valley.

"I've been cutting [hair] for aboutâ?¦I would say about 9 years right about now and over the years I've become pretty proficient at what I do," Rice said. He is a combat medical specialist in the U. S. Army and cuts hair on his free time.

"Most of the clients that I get like high and tights because it lasts longer out here in the desert. It's pretty quick, pretty simple," he said. "Every haircut to me is like the very first one. So when I'm cutting, I don't treat any head the same as the one before it. And it's just fun just contemplating the next move on the hair. It's like a strategy that I use. It's just fun thinking about it." Rice said.

"I try to make the setting as real as possible as far as the outside world. How I kind of got my set up, I try to have conversations that are not military related, for the fact that when they can come and sit down, it's actually relaxing to get your hair cut first of all, and just to get away from the real scene where we're at, out here in Iraq."

"Well my plans right nowâ?¦ I just re-enlisted for another four years and within this four years I'm gonna go ahead and try to get my license. And once I'm out within this four years I'm gonna open up a salon. I'm having a ball. I mean, I'm down here, you know, I go do my duty, I'm down here all day until I have duty the next time. Doesn't matter if it's 9 o"clock, 10 o"clock, 12 o"clock at night, it doesn't matter. I'm still cutting because I love what I do."

Judging by his client list, everyone who gets a haircut from Rice also loves what he does.

• Date Taken: 03.13.2006
• Date Posted: 03.13.2006 15:01
• Story ID: 5702
• Location: RAWAH, IQ