Reeder was born on November 28, 1947, in Tacoma, Washington[3] where his father was serving as an Army officer at Fort Lewis.

[5] He then spent a year clerking in a United States district court in Texas,[6] first for Ben C. Connally and then for Carl O.

As Under Secretary, he was responsible for long-range planning, material requirements, readiness, acquisition reform, infrastructure reduction, and financial management of the United States Army.

[3] He was also one of five members of the United States Department of Defense's Base Realignment and Closure Council.

[6] Upon leaving the United States Department of the Army in 1997, Reeder returned to Patton Boggs for two years, and then moved to Greenberg Traurig in 1999.

His maternal grandfather was Sherrow Glenn Parker, who served as Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court.