GOSHEN – Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus is just back after spending five months in the Middle East while on active duty as a lieutenant commander with the Navy Reserves.
He spent most of his tour in Iraq and has a firsthand sense of the tensions in the region.
Of particular concern to Neuhaus are the heightened tensions between the US and Iran.
“When we were there it was an issue the whole time. I was with the combined joint special operations task force and the influence of Iran on Iraq and Syria is real and it is a real threat to American service members over there. So, what is happening now is very concerning to me and I am still in contact with my unit at home. One small thing could set off a major conflict over there.”
Neuhaus doesn’t expect to be deployed to the Middle East again. He will complete his active duty that began last December on the mainland US.
