Dennis Joe Reimer
General, U.S. Army

Dennis Joe Reimer was born on 12 July 1939 and grew up in Medford, OK. In June 1962, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in Field Artillery. His initial assignment was attending the Field Artillery Officer Orientation Course at Fort Sill, OK. He is also a graduate of the Ranger and Airborne Schools at Fort Benning, GA.

He served as Assistant Executive Officer and later, Executive Officer, 20th Artillery, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) from 1963-64. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in December 1963 followed by an assignment as Assistant Battalion Advisor, Advisory Team 60, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, from 1964-65. He was promoted to Captain in November 1965. He then returned to CONUS to attend the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course at Fort Sill and Fort Bliss from 1965-66. Reimer next commanded Company C, 11th Battalion, 3d Brigade, U.S. Army Training Center, Fort Benning from 1966-67.

His next assignment was Aide-de-Camp to the Commandant, Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA, 1967-68. He was promoted to Major in September 1968. He served as Executive Officer and S-3, 2d Battalion, 4th Artillery, 9th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, Vietnam, 1968-70 and as an instructor at the U.S. Army Field Artillery School at Fort Sill in 1970. Reimer attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College from 1970-71 followed by an assignment as Personnel Management Officer, Assignment Section, Field Artillery Branch, Office of Personnel Operations, Washington, DC.

His next duty was as Assistant Executive Officer and Aide to the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. from 1972-74. He served as Executive Officer and S-3 (Operations and Training), Division Artillery, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Carson, CO, from 1975-76. In June 1975 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He commanded 1st Battalion, 27th Artillery, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Carson from 1976-78, followed by assignment as Commandant, Training Command, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized).

Reimer attended the U.S. Army War College from 1978-79, and received his Master of Arts degree from Shippensburg State College in 1979. He was promoted to Colonel in August 1979 and served as Deputy Commander and later, Special Assistant to the Commander, V Corps Artillery, U.S. Army, Europe, 1979-80. Reimer was chosen to command Division Artillery, 8th Infantry Division (Mechanized), U.S. Army, Europe, 1980-82. He moved on to become the Division's Chief of Staff from 1982-83. He returned to Fort Sill as Deputy Assistant Commandant, Field Artillery Center and School from 1983-84.

He was promoted to Brigadier General in September 1984 and took up assignment as Commanding General, III Corps Artillery, Fort Sill, from 1984-86. He served as Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Element, Combined Field Army, Republic of Korea in 1986 followed by Assistant Chief of Staff, C-3/J-3, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command, 1986-88. He was promoted to Major General in September 1987 and Commanded the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Carson from 1988-90. This was followed by promotion to Lieutenant General in July 1990 and assignment as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, U.S. Army, and Army Senior Member, Military Staff Committee, United Nations, Washington, from 1990-91.

Reimer received his fourth star in June 1991, serving as Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army from 1991-93. He then served as Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), Fort McPherson, from 1993-95 before being selected as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.

He served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army from 20 June 1995 to 21 June 1999. During his tenure, he was credited with revamping the Army during a period of high-tempo deployments, including peacekeeping in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

General Reimer retired from active service in August 1999.

Medals and Awards

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2 Awards)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal (3 Awards)
Purple Heart

Badges and Tabs

Combat Infantryman Badge
Parachutist Badge
Ranger Tab

Honors

The Army named their Digital Library after him.

In Retirement

Reimer served as director of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, and testified before the Congressional Sub-Committee on National Security, Emergency Threats and International Relations on 29 April 2003.

He has also served on the boards of Microvision, DRS Technologies, Plato Learning and Mutual of America Life Insurance. He wrote the foreword to Thomas P. Odom's 2005 book Journey Into Darkness: Genocide In Rwanda. General Dennis Reimer is currently on the Board of Directors for the Arlington, Virginia-based consulting firm Detica (formerly DeticaDFI) and DFI International.

General Dennis Reimer is also currently serving as the Chairman of the Board for VirtualAgility, Inc., a software development firm that provides browser-based environments that support interoperation among disparate groups and organizations. VA systems resolve several of the most urgent challenges currently facing emergency, disaster and business continuity planners.

Personal

Reimer married Mary Jo Powers on 28 December 1962.