FEATURE STORY: SALUTING LT. GENERAL CHARLES R. HAMILTON
a member of Kappa, I participated in training for leadership (Province Council & C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Confer- ence, Grand Chapter Meeting) which taught me many life skills, that’s where I would build confidence in myself. Through many Kappa core programs, I had the opportunity to brief industry leaders at Province Councils, C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Conference & Grand Chapter Meetings. I truly honed & learned life changing social skills, I saw the commitment and the value of Kappa Alpha Psi ® close-up that I hadn’t seen previously.” “The fraternity provided many op- portunities for me to give back to several communities across the nation and in giving back I gained so much more. I in- teracted and saw many young men who may have not been on the right track, but it was through Kappa Alpha Psi that I was able to reach many young men of color.” “As a Colonel, I was on my way to a Kappa fundraising event. There was a gentleman in the elevator at the event that I had met several years back. When I initially met the young man, he was a middle school student, I asked him what he wanted to be in life and at that time he told me that he wanted to be the best car thief in his neighborhood. That same day in the elevator while headed to the Kappa Fundraiser, the same young man told me that he was now attending Howard University School of Law.” “My promotion to Lieutenant Gen- eral is an honor and an opportunity and I am extremely grateful for the selec- tion to Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4 of the United States Army. I look forward to continuing to get to know the U. S. Army Community in the Continental United States (CONUS) and Out- side of the Continental United States (OCONUS). I take tremendous pride in creating and sustaining a climate where people enjoy their work, role, and leader- ship responsibility. My goal is to create a culture where Soldiers, Sailors, Marines,
Lt. Gen. Hamilton is greeted by Laurel Wreath Laureate Gen. Dennis L. Via (Ret.), Eastern Province Senior Vice Polemarch Richard B. Mattox and other members of the Eastern Province.
leaders-junior officers. One of my roles as a senior leader in the U. S. Army is to ensure that the next generation is empowered, equipped and inspired for next level thinking. I foster an environment where trans- parency and treating people with dignity and respect is always at the forefront. Mentoring is twofold, it allows me to receive feedback from young officers in an intimate setting on their thoughts about the U. S. Army and what we can do to improve. Secondly, it allows them to ask questions that drive career deci- sions that will shape their future in the U. S. Army.” In discussing his faith, family and fraternity, he shared, “My faith, family and fraternity are what have been the driving force that shaped everything I have accomplished in my life. There have been some challenges presented over the years and some triumphs. My faith has kept me spiritually grounded, focused and sound in terms of my duty, role and responsibility as a husband, fa- ther, officer and Kappa man. My family is my anchor, inspiration and source for living a very meaningful life which also keeps me very grounded. We all have had a calling to serve our Nation at some point in our lives. My wife Regina served and she is now a retired U. S. Army
Lieutenant Colonel, my son Reggie is a U. S. Army Captain and Kappa man serving in the 82 nd Airborne Division as a Company Commander. Collectively as a family for many years, our children were growing up and prior to them opening their presents on Christmas day, we would volunteer at local shelters through the Alexandria-Fairfax (VA) Alumni Chapter where I have been a member for more than 25 years. Kappa Alpha Psi and service to our country & communities often intersected annually during the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Season.” As to his value system, he stated “My parents taught me values at an early age and those values are not far off from what the Army values taught me. My mother, the matriarch of the family was an English teacher. She instilled in me the purpose of giving to others. She taught me the value of serving a bigger purpose than oneself. As I got older and matured, those core values that I learned from home continued to mani- fest through me with our Army values. While in high school my history teacher, a Kappa man illustrated to me what an outstanding man of character and what an educated black man looked like. He spoke with us about higher education and Kappa Alpha Psi ® . Once I became
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