By Staff Sgt. Benjamin Crane, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
FRANKFORT,
Ky – Brig. Gen. Haldane (Hal) B. Lamberton, who served more than 35 years in uniform, is the state’s new adjutant general appointed by Governor Andy
Beshear as his first act as Commander-in-Chief.
Lamberton was sworn into
office shortly after midnight, Dec. 10, succeeding Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Hogan
who has served in the role since 2015.
To see all photos from these events, please click HERE.
“No position is more important in a time of crisis
than that of Adjutant General,” said Beshear, during the appointment press
conference. “Any Kentuckian can tell you how critical that roll is during any
national disaster.”
As Kentucky’s 53nd adjutant general, Lamberton
will command the nearly 8,000 military members of the Kentucky Army and Air
National Guard. He will also oversee the statewide Department of Military
Affairs, Kentucky Emergency Management, the Appalachian and Bluegrass Challenge
Academies and Bluegrass Station in Avon, Kentucky.
Lamberton brings a
rucksack full of experience to the team. His last command position in the Kentucky National Guard before retirement was
the commander of the 238th Regiment in Greenville, Ky. He is an infantryman by
trade with five operational deployments to include service in Honduras, Panama,
Saudi Arabia, Korea, Germany and Iraq. He has a degree from the University of
Kentucky in Psychology and earned a masters degree in Strategic Studies from
the Army War College in June 2009. He is Ranger qualified as well as Air
Assault and Airborne.
Lamberton commissioned
through the Reserves Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at the University of
Kentucky in May of 1986.
His significant
active duty assignments include Infantry Platoon and Mortar Platoon Leader for
the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg
North Carolina; Rifle Company Executive Officer with the 504th; S-1 and
Rifle Company Commander for the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, 2nd Infantry
Division, Korea.
For
the National Guard, he served in many positions from the 149th Brigade, 35th
Infantry Division, Commander of 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry, 42nd
Infantry Division, Director of Military Support, Director of Human Resources,
and Director of Logistics.
Among
the incoming TAG’s numerous awards, Lamberton has received the Combat
Infantryman’s Badge, Master Parachutist wings with a combat star, the Legion of
Merit and Bronze Star.
“It’s a
genuine honor a privilege to be back in uniform and serving with the other men
and women of both the Army and the Air National Guard in the state,” said
Lamberton.