By Staff Sgt. Benjamin Crane, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Army Brig. Gen. Scott A. Campbell was honored for nearly 40 years of service in the Kentucky National Guard during his retirement ceremony at the Wellman Armory on Boone National Guard Center Nov. 15.
Gen. Campbell leaves his post as Assistant Adjutant General where he served as the Land Component Commander with full command responsibility for all the Kentucky Army National Guard Forces.
“The best thing I ever did was hire this man to be commander,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Hogan, Adjutant General, and long time friend of Campbell.
He continued to praise the impact Campbell has had on him and the Kentucky Guard as a whole.
“To serve almost five separate decades (45 days short) you need to be able to do a few things to be in uniform for that length of time. The first thing is you have to be good at what you do Through the 36 years that I have served, one of the very best Soldiers that I have met is Scott Campbell,” said Hogan. “The very best commander I have ever seen, from captain to one-star, I can testify; Soldiers in his command knew they were safe and with that kind of confidence, Kentucky guardsmen could do anything.”
Campbell joined the service when he was 20 years old and has spent two-thirds of his life in uniform.
“I have few memories of life out of uniform and the few I have, continue to fade,” said Campbell of his many years of service to the military. “The best times of my life are associated with this uniform.”
Campbell commissioned from the Kentucky Military Academy OCS program in 1984. But before he became an officer, He served his enlisted time in Alpha Company, 1-123rd Armor Battalion in Marion, Ky.
“They say that your last speech is typically your best speech, and I have given hundreds of speeches, and I cant promise it will be be my best speech, but it is definitely my last,” joked Campbell during the ceremony.
He went on to thank all the influential people in his life including the former Adjutant General of Kentucky, Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini (ret.), who presided over his very first promotion ceremony.
“These are friendships like no other based on common goals, trust, and hardship,” he said of the friendships he’s made while serving. “This is a bond that once established; it’s a bond for life.”
During the ceremony, Campbell was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by Kentucky’s TAG.
Campbell said that he will take his newfound free time after his retirement to spend with his family and try to make up for holidays and birthdays he’s had to miss through the years.
“Needless to say, all my experiences have shaped who I am today and I’m grateful for those who have been beside me along the way,” added Campbell.