Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus, who is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, is being deployed to Europe for what is expected to be duty assisting with the Ukrainian refugee situation created as result of the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Neuhaus is assigned to the Pacific Fleet and told the Business Journal that he had just been sent to the fleet in Hawaii for what was expected to be about a month.
“I was out there for about three or four days and got a call Saturday morning that I was being mobilized and going to Europe,” Neuhaus said. “I”™m on a fast-track mobilization; I”™m going to be reporting on Sunday of this week.”
He said that it normally can take several months to be readied for mobilization and this is a compressed time frame.
“I”™m looking forward to going to Europe. I”™m looking forward to being part of the solution and helping,” Neuhaus said. “Early indications are it”™s going to be a few months. Obviously, if things get progressively worse, it could be extended but I”™m hoping to be back in a few months.”
While he”™s on active duty, the county will be in the hands of Deputy County Executive Harry Porr, Chairwoman of the Legislature Katie Bonelli and other members of the administration.
Neuhaus”™ military career began after 9/11 when he enlisted in the Army Guard. He subsequently joined the Navy Reserve. Neuhaus has been deployed internationally to Africa, South Korea and Iraq. From Nov. 2018 to June 2019 in Iraq he served with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force supporting the military campaign against ISIS. Neuhaus holds graduate certifications from the Naval War College in National Security Studies and the Joint Special Operations University.
“Everything is speculative right now. I was with the Special Forces for a long time and one of my certifications is a Joint Humanitarian Support Officer, which means I am certified to work with the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and the Red Cross. With over a million refugees I know that is a serious problem for the NATO forces over there to make sure that they have food, shelter and a way forward,” Neuhaus said. “I can assume that”™s what our role is right now because the president has been pretty clear he does not want American troops engaged with the Russian troops. We”™re always ready to do what we need to do but I think right now the biggest concern is to help do a humanitarian mission to try to help these people.”
Neuhaus said his destination has not been disclosed but he expected that it would be In Poland, Germany, Italy or one of the other NATO countries. He said he plans to be flying overseas via a flight chartered by the military leaving from Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
“On Thursday I saw an S-O-S from the European Forces saying they needed volunteers,“ Neuhaus said, “By Saturday I got called up and it was a list of people with different specialties and I think that”™s the force that I”™m going with.”
Neuhaus lives in Chester with his wife and four children. He said that when he flew back to Orange County from the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii on March 7 and picked up his children at school, they and his wife, while being concerned, also were highly supportive of the upcoming mission. He said that everyone is horrified to see on TV what is happening in Ukraine.
“It”™s not Republican or Democrat or Independent. Those Ukrainians look like us. Those Ukrainian children look like our children. They”™re dressed like us. They”™re playing with the same toys,” Neuhaus said, while also praising the outpouring of support for the Ukrainian people from residents of Orange County including collecting supplies and raising money for organizations.
“When you have 400,000 people in Orange County and over 23,000 are in the military or veterans that probably helps the cause,” Neuhaus said.
