FRANKFORT, Ky –
Army Lt. Col. Phillip Robinson was promoted to the rank of colonel by his wife and children during a ceremony at the Wellman Armory auditorium June 28.
MORE PHOTOS
Robinson is the director of logistics for the Kentucky National Guard on the full-time side and is the commander of the 238th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) on the M-DAY (traditional Soldier) side.
Getting pinned colonel is not just a big accomplishment, it’s a rare occasion. Something that the Adjutant General for Kentucky discussed during his speech.
“For everyone that decides to take the officer path, only 5 out of 200 will make the rank of colonel,” said Maj. Gen. Haldane B. Lamberton.
He went on to talk about Robinson’s importance to the Kentucky Guard and how well deserved the promotion was.
“Phil is an indispensable person for us,” said Lamberton. “He makes the organization run smoothly.”
Having the spotlight isn’t something that this logistician is comfortable with, but getting praised by the Adjutant General still meant a lot to him.
“It was very humbling,” said Robinson. “I’m not one who likes to receive public praise so it was a little uncomfortable for me but it is important for my family to hear those things. I was very grateful for what he said to my family. It was impressive.”
If anything, Robinson is a family man. He is a father to six children with one more on the way. During the ceremony he thanked his family for supporting him all these years. If it wasn’t for them, he said he would have already got out and moved on to something else.
“They kind of shamed me staying in the Guard, he said. “I had thought about retiring a few years ago and it was my third daughter who asked me if it would bother me (if I retired then) that the younger children wouldn’t know me as being a Soldier. I thought about and yes it did bother me. So I decided then to stick around a little bit longer.”
Robinson has served in the National Guard for 27 years and has served in many different capacities. All of those years have been spent with the Kentucky National Guard, with a few deployments and a title ten tour at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama to work at an acquisition Corps officer.
He first enlisted into the Guard at age 18 and served with the 202nd Army Band.
“I got recruited to play the euphonium for that band and then at some point while I was going to college, I got convinced to join the ROTC and transitioned over to the aviation brigade,” Robinson added.
From band member to being a section director and commander of troops, Robinson has paid his dues and has loved the journey. Being a leader and a Soldier is what drives him and is what he wants to be for as long as possible.
“There's so much to like about the Guard, I don't know where to start,” he said. “But for one, that's how I have defined myself. So my sense of self-worth comes from this organization and always has. As is being able to provide for the community when they need us. Those are some of the most rewarding aspects of the guard that mean the most to me.”