LEXINGTON, Ky. –
Distinguished guests, Cadre, Soldiers, family, and friends welcomed the Kentucky National Guard Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Hal Lamberton to Barker Hall on May 14, 2021, for his induction onto the University of Kentucky Reserve Officer Training Corps Wall of Fame.
The Wall of Fame, located in the on-campus armory, boasts the faces and achievements of the programs most accomplished alumni. Lamberton Is the 30th inductee to be awarded the distinguished honor. The earliest inductee was an alumnus who graduated from UK in 1936.
“I'm proud and genuinely appreciative to be included,” said Lamberton. “We are a reflection of the leadership we've been exposed to over time. The jobs, the duty stations, the deployments; all of these different experiences make us who we are today”
Lamberton graduated the University of Kentucky in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and has since served the commonwealth on several deployments and in a variety of roles.
“Our Wall of honor serves to recognize and remember those Alumni who have had exceptional military and civilian careers and who have made a tremendous impact on our nation as well as our local community,” said Capt. Mike Wright, Assistant Professor of Military Science. “The Wall of Honor also serves to help our cadets remember who they are, their legacy, and that they are joining a Team of Teams committed to serving and defending our great nation.”
Some of Lamberton’s most notable assignments are include roles with the 42nd Infantry Division including logistics, operations, battalion executive officer. First battalion 149th Infantry Regiment battalion commander, and Joint Force Headquarters personal and logistics.
Lamberton has deployed to Honduras, Panama, Saudi Arabia, and multiple times to Iraq.
Several former inductees were present for the ceremony to include fellow classmate, retired Lt. Col. Keith L. Jackson, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veteran Affairs. They both commissioned together in 1986 and have recently reconnected after decades apart.
“The real appealing thing to me about that the military that has kept me coming back is the dynamic that everything we do, it's about forming a team,” Lamberton said. “It's about bringing people together from different backgrounds, from different experiences for a shared purpose with whatever we do.”
In addition to being the newest inductee, Lamberton was also the keynote speaker for the program’s most recent graduates during a commissioning ceremony that same evening.