[6]: 224  He traveled with his family, being educated in the District of Columbia Public Schools and at the Randolph Macon Academy.

[1]: 509–511 Reed applied for a direct commission in early 1898, but upon the outbreak of the Spanish–American War on 17 June 1898, he enlisted in C Battery, 2nd Artillery, at Washington Barracks.

[8]: 372–373 In February 1901, the regiment left Cuba, and at Fort Robinson in Nebraska he was made quartermaster and commissary of the 2nd Battalion.

In March, the unit was deployed to the Philippines, participated in the Lake Lanao operations, and was garrisoned at Cotabato City.

[1]: 509–511 Reed next commanded a training company and escorted groups to their new units at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, from February 1906 until rejoining his regiment in August 1908 at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana.

From March to June the unit was part of the Maneuver Division and in September it was stationed at Camp E. S. Otis in the Panama Canal Zone.

Reed was successful in the role and elected major of the 4th New Jersey Infantry in 1916 (though he could not accept because it was a state commission, the governor issued the rank as an honor).

In July he was made a temporary major and remained with the Guard until October when he was assigned to the Inspector General's Department in Washington, D.C.[1]: 509–511 In May 1918, he was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel and assigned as the inspector of the 7th Division at Camp MacArthur in Texas.

[1]: 264, 509–511  Hemlick praised Reed, saying he "did more than any other staff officer to bring order out of the chaos that existed in the camp during the early days.

"[1]: 269  He was appointed to temporary colonel in May and moved to the American Expeditionary Forces Inspector General office after the base section closed.

He was then an instructor at the Naval War College until June 1928 when he was assigned as the executive officer of the 29th Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Georgia.

His investigations included Benjamin Foulois and the Army Air Force and accusations of bribery against Alexander E. Williams.

In April 1942 Reed was recalled to active duty as a member of the War Department Personnel Board.