On March 28, 2025, Friday night, Jim Reeb passed away.  His biography follows:

James N. Reeb was born in June 1942 in Buffalo, NY.  He joined the Navy in January 1960 and attended Boot Camp at Great Lakes.  After CTR school at Imperial Beach, CA, he completed Russian language training in Monterey, CA.  Enroute to Kamiseya, Japan, he married his high school sweetheart Virginia Irene Goodwill in Union City, PA, in September 1961.  

At Kamiseya he served in all types of Direct Support (DIRSUP) operations, including flight duty with VQ1 at Atsugi, Japan, and deployments during 1963 in USS SWORDFISH, and aboard USS SOMERS and USS WILHOITE.  Returning to Monterey, he completed Polish language training in June 1965 and reported to Sidi Yahia, Morocco.  In January 1967, after receiving orders to USS PUEBLO, he was subsequently directed to Ft. Meade, MD, to resume DIRSUP duty, where he deployed in USS QUILLBACK (1967) and USS LAPON (1968).

Attending junior college in Pensacola, FL, he was promoted to Chief Petty Officer in September 1970.  Returning to Maryland, he was selected in October 1972 for at-sea Special Project duty.  Promoted to CTICS in July 1975, he then served briefly in Rota, Spain, before recall to Maryland for another at-sea Special Project.  CTICS Reeb was commissioned as CWO2 (temporary) in April 1977, and promoted to permanent CTICM in July 1980. 

After two tours at Ft. Meade, separated by directing the Naval Seccurity Group’s special language testing and training programs (1980-1983), he was promoted to CWO4 (temporary) in April 1984.  Mr. Reeb subsequently retired to the Fleet Reserve as a Master Chief Petty Officer in April 1986. 

In October 1988, CTICM Reeb elected to accept permanent Navy retired status as CWO4, and was subsequently placed on the retired officers’ list.  His Navy awards include the DMSM, two JSCMs, two NCMs, two NUCs, two MUCs, four GCMs, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Navy Rifle Marksmanship ribbon. 

Mr. Reeb served as a civilian Senior Intelligence Specialist with NIOC Suitland (formerly NIWA) between May 1987 and March 2008, during which time he received numerous inter-agency awards, commendations, and two Navy Civilian Meritorious Service medals. 

At his retirement ceremony on 28 March 2008, he was gratefully and publicly identified by a former senior US Government official as the Russian speaker during a burial at sea ceremony on 4 September 1974 for six Soviet submariners who perished in the Pacific Ocean on 8 March 1968 aboard Soviet submarine K-129.  Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Reeb was most proud of his selection to the rank of Chief Petty Officer in 1970.

Before his first wife, Virginia, passed away they lived in Severn, MD.  In May 2022, Mr. Reeb remarried to Bridgette Sullivan where they resided in northwestern Pennsylvania. The Reeb family has amassed a total of 40+ submarine deployments.  They have three sons:  James (CWO2 MDARNG Ret.), John (CTIC{SG} USN Ret./18 submarine deployments)(passed 2017), Jason (CTICM {SG} USN Ret./19 submarine deployments, eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.  The Reebs’ grandchildren Jacob Reeb and Hannah Reeb both served at NIOC Maryland as the 3rd generation of Reeb Family CTI Russian linguists.

RIP Shipmate!