John E. Reece was director, Sentry Project Office, Ballistic Missile Defense Systems Command, a position which he assumed in June 1983. Sentry is a program aimed at refining a system concept for a generic, low altitude ballistic missile defense (BMD) system for defense of U.S. military targets, such as land-based strategic missiles.
An employee of the BMD Systems Command for 12 years, Reece was the Sentry assistant project manager for engineering prior to being selected as project director. Before that, he was a special assistant to the BMD program manager. In 1980 and 1981, Reece participated in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship Program, graduating with a master of science degree in management.
Reece also holds a bachelor of science degree (1962) in physics and math from Birmingham Southern College, a master of science (1964) in physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master's degree (1971) in engineering management from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Reece worked in private industry for seven years as an engineer and senior staff engineer before beginning his government career.
Born in Birmingham, Ala., in 1941, Reece graduated from Birmingham's West End High School in 1959. He is married to the former Elana Compton of Fairfield, Ala., and they have three children: two daughters and a son.
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