The Orange County Cadet Squadron

is pleased to welcome

Romero Iral

Commander, US Navy, Retired

Transportation Security Administration

December 8, 2020

Romero Iral was born in Heidelberg, Germany and grew-up all over the world.  He is the son of a career soldier who served in the Intelligence field and in the Special Forces (Green Berets) of the US Army.   

Upon graduation from high school in 1977, he enlisted in the US Navy and then attended the US Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, RI.  He then attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering and was commissioned as a Naval Officer in 1982.  He also attended the US Naval War College in Newport, RI where he earned a Masters of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies which included studies in: Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) / Terrorism, the CIA, and Intelligence gathering systems. 

As a surface ship warfare specialist, he served on a wide variety of ships including: an amphibious warfare ship, logistics ships, a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, and a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (USS Dwight D Eisenhower) and operated in areas such as: Beirut, Lebanon; Mogadishu, Somalia; and the Arabian Gulf.  His naval career has been primarily in Planning and Operations and he has experience and training in counter-terrorism and defense against chemical, biological, and radiological agents.  His last active duty assignment was as the Director of Operations for Joint InterAgency Task Force West located in the San Francisco Bay area where he conducted counter-drug operations throughout the Eastern Pacific Ocean and South East Asia.  He directed the tactical operations of US Navy, US Coast Guard, and US Customs Service ships and aircraft; and coordinated bi-lateral training operations with host country law enforcement elements and US Army Special Forces. 

He retired from the US Navy as a Commander on 1 September 2001 after 20 years of active duty and began working in the Transportation Security Administration on 23 September 2002 overseeing security operations at Westchester County Airport, and then later also at Stewart International Airport; and has since worked at LaGuardia Airport and is now working at John F Kennedy Airport. 

He is an aviation enthusiast (licensed private pilot, qualified glider pilot and static line parachutist; and was a Captain in the Civil Air Patrol at the Hampton Roads Composite Squadron in 1986 during a shore tour of duty at COMNAVBASE Norfolk, Virginia while still on active duty in the US Navy.

Please come prepared with questions, and with your uniform and camera on.

The Orange County Cadet Squadron

is pleased to welcome

Steve Neuhaus

County Executive, Orange County NY

November 17, 2020

Steve Neuhaus is Orange County’s sixth County Executive since the office was established in 1970.  As County Executive, Neuhaus has focused on revitalizing Orange County’s economic development, enhancing its public health and safety, improving its infrastructure and stabilizing its budget.

A life-long Orange County resident, and the son of immigrants, Neuhaus and his two sisters were raised on a working farm in Southern Orange County that is still operational today.  He graduated from Monroe-Woodbury High School and took courses at SUNY Orange during his senior year.  Neuhaus went on to receive a Bachelor Degree in History/Political Science from Mount Saint Mary College as well as a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Marist College.  He is also a graduate of Orange County’s Leadership Orange program.

Neuhaus is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, currently assigned to a Naval Special Warfare team as Executive Officer.  He has earned two warfare designations:  Seabee Combat Warfare (SCW) Officer and Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps Officer (NESCO) and holds graduate certifications from the Naval War College in National Security Studies and the Joint Special Operations University.  His overseas service includes Korea, Africa, and throughout the Middle East including Iraq.

Neuhaus was sworn into office on January 1, 2014 after having served as the Town of Chester’s Supervisor for six years.  He continues to be active in the community, serving in various volunteer organizations including: American Legion Post 1167, the Military Officers Association of America/Mid-Hudson Chapter, and the Fraternal Order of Police/Jason Conklin Lodge 957.

In addition, Neuhaus is a founding member and former chairman of the Families of War Veterans Committee, and is a supporter of the Hudson Valley Honor Flight.  Prior to joining the Navy Reserves, he was an active member of the Lakeside Fire Department in Monroe.  Neuhaus currently serves on the County Executives of America (CEA) Board of Directors.

Neuhaus lives in Chester with his wife and four children.