County Executive Neuhaus presents Armand Assante with flag that flew over base in Iraq
Goshen. Flag flown at Camp Keating in Baghdad was presented to acclaimed actor, who sent care packages to Neuhaus and others while serving overseas.
Monroe /
| 16 Oct 2019 | 01:26
Oorange County Executive Steve Neuhaus (left) with Armand Assante. (
)
Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus presented acclaimed actor Armand Assante with an American flag on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The flag had been flown over Camp Keating, Neuhaus’ base in Baghdad, Iraq during his deployment earlier this year.
Assante, an Orange County resident, was one of several community members who sent Neuhaus and other troops from Orange County stationed in the Middle East care packages during their tours. Camp Keating is named after Navy SEAL Charles Keating, who was killed in 2016 battling ISIS fighters in Mosul.
Neuhaus also presented Assante with a certificate signed by the Commanding Officer of Camp Keating, U.S. Navy Captain Todd S. Perry.
Neuhaus has previously given American flags flown over Camp Keating to others who generously donated to troops while he was overseas, including the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, the Fraternal Order of Police Jason Conklin Memorial Lodge 957 in Monroe, Tom Urtz, ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc.’s Vice President of Operations and Alan Seidman, Executive Director of the Construction Contractors Association of the Hudson Valley.
Neuhaus serves in the U.S. Navy Reserves as a Lieutenant Commander, assigned to a Naval Special Operations Team. He was deployed on active duty orders from November of last year until late-June, serving with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force. Neuhaus spent most of his deployment in various locations throughout Iraq in Support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. Military Campaign against ISIS.
“I’m proud that these flags flew over my base in Baghdad and I’m glad to share them as a token of my appreciation, and that of the men and women with whom I served,” Neuhaus said. “Mr. Assante’s kindness and generosity went above and beyond. I know that he cares deeply about Orange County and those who serve our country. I’m humbled by and grateful for the generosity of Mr. Assante and all those who sent care packages and kept those deployed in their thoughts and prayers.”