Dennis Reimer

Dennis J. Reimer

Reimer in June 1995
Birth name Dennis Joe Reimer
Born (1939-07-12) July 12, 1939
Enid, Oklahoma
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch  United States Army
Years of service 1962-1999
Rank General
Commands held Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
FORSCOM
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Awards Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star (3)
Purple Heart
Spouse(s) Mary Jo (Powers) Reimer
Relations 2 children

Dennis Joe Reimer (born July 12, 1939) is a former United States Army general, who served as the 33rd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army from June 20, 1995 to June 21, 1999. He is also a graduate of Ranger and Airborne school.

Early life and education

Reimer was born in Enid, Oklahoma[1] and grew up in Medford, Oklahoma. He graduated from the United States Military Academy (West Point) and commissioned as a second lieutenant in June 1962.

Career

After being commissioning as a U.S. Army officer, Reimer attended the field artillery officer orientation course at Fort Sill. He served as assistant executive officer and executive officer, 20th Artillery, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) from 1963 to 1964. He was promoted to temporary first lieutenant, December 1963 followed by an assignment as assistant battalion adviser, Advisory Team 60, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam from 1964 to 1965.

He was promoted to permanent first lieutenant in June 1965 and temporary captain in November 1965. He then returned to CONUS to attend the artillery officer advanced course at Fort Sill and Fort Bliss from 1965 to 1966. Reimer next commanded Company C, 11th Battalion, 3d Brigade, U.S. Army Training Center, Fort Benning from 1966 to 1967. His next assignment was aide-de-camp to the commandant, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia, 1967–1968.

He was promoted to temporary major in September 1968 and permanent captain in June 1969. He served as executive officer and S–3, 2d Battalion, 4th Artillery, 9th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, Vietnam, 1968–1970 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 to 1971 followed by an assignment as personnel management officer, Assignment Section, Field Artillery Branch, Office of Personnel Operations, Washington, D.C.

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 to 1974. He served as executive officer and S–3 (Operations and Training), Division Artillery, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Carson, from 1975 to 1976. During this time he was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel and permanent major, June 1975 and June 1976, respectively. He commanded 1st Battalion, 27th Artillery, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Carson from 1976 to 1978, followed by assignment as commandant, Training Command, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized).

Reimer attended the U.S. Army War College from 1978 to 1979, and received his Master of Arts degree from Shippensburg State College in 1979. He was promoted to temporary colonel in August 1979 and served as deputy commander and later special assistant to the commander, V Corps Artillery, U.S. Army, Europe, 1979–1980. Reimer was chosen to command Division Artillery, 8th Infantry Division (Mechanized), U.S. Army, Europe, 1980–1982 and was promoted to permanent colonel in March 1982. He moved on to become the division's chief of staff from 1982 to 1983.

He returned to Fort Sill as deputy assistant commandant, Field Artillery Center and School from 1983 to 1984. He was promoted to permanent brigadier general in September 1984 and took up assignment as commanding general, III Corps Artillery, Fort Sill, from 1984 to 1986. He served as chief of staff, U.S. Army Element, Combined Field Army, Republic of Korea 1986 followed by assistant chief of staff, C3/J3, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command, 1986–1988. He received promotion to major general in September 1987 and commanded the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Carson from 1988 to 1990.

This was followed by promotion to permanent 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, D.C., from 1990 to 1991. He received his fourth star in June 1991, serving as vice chief of staff, U.S. Army from 1991 to 1993. He then served as commanding general, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort McPherson, from 1993 to 1995 before being selected as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.

He has been credited with revamping the Army during a period of high-tempo deployments, including peacekeeping in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. Reimer retired from active service on August 1999. The U.S. Army has named their digital library after him.

Post retirement

After retirement, Reimer served as director of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, testifying before the Congressional Subcommitee on National Security, Emergency Threats and International Relations on April 29, 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. (VA),[2] 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.[3] He is currently the President of Army Emergency Relief[4]

Reimer is married to Mary Jo Powers Reimer. They have two children and four grandchildren.

Awards and decorations

Reimer is a recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, six awards of the Bronze Star Medal (one with "V" Device for valor), Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Aircraft Crewman Badge, and Ranger tab.
V
Bronze star
Bronze star

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ http://www.virtualagility.com/
  3. ↑ http://www.virtualagility.com/docs/VA_Reimer_Chairman.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.aerhq.org/dnn563/MessagefromthePresident.aspx

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

Military offices
Preceded by
Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan		 Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
1991 – 1993 		Succeeded by
Gen. J. H. Binford Peay III
Preceded by
Gordon R. Sullivan		 Chief of Staff of the United States Army
1995–1999 		Succeeded by
Eric Shinseki
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