In October 1976 Reinhardt was promoted to lieutenant colonel and served as operations staff officer (G-3) of NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG) in Heidelberg. From January 1978 to October 1980 he used to be assistant to the Vice Inspector General of the West German Military, General Jürgen Brandt at the ministry of defence in Bonn. From 1982 he took command of the Gebirgsjägerbataillon 231 in Bad Reichenhall. From 1982 to 1983 he served as operations officer (G-3) in the staff of the 1st Mountain Division in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. After his promotion to full colonel he served as military assistant to the then minister of defence Manfred Wörner and in 1986 till September 1988 as commander of the Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23 in Bad Reichenhall.
