Reincke's military career began in 1917 when he enlisted as an electrician in the Navy. He was a Navy veteran of
World War I and an Army veteran of
World War II. Reincke left the
Naval Reserve Force in 1921 and joined the Connecticut National Guard. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant of infantry on March 18, 1922 and called to active duty as a
lieutenant colonel on February 24, 1941. Reincke commanded troops in many battles in the South Pacific during World War II before contracting malaria and returning to the United States. He left the Army with the rank of
colonel and was awarded the
Legion of Merit for his service as an Army battalion commander with the 169th Infantry. After World War II, Reincke became commanding general of the 169th Connecticut National Guard Infantry and served in 1947 as
Hartford County Sheriff. In 1956, Reincke directed the National Guard troops who put down a riot at the Old State in Wethersfield. Reincke was
Connecticut Adjutant General for 15 years from 1948 to 1962. He was confirmed as a
United States Army Reserve brigadier general on March 10, 1949 and as a
major general on August 18, 1954. He was promoted to
lieutenant general by the state of Connecticut upon retirement. ==Personal life==