As part of the opening ceremonies of Central Asian Peacekeeping Battalion (CENTRASBAT)2000, during the gala concert, Kazakhstan performers demonstrate a cultural tradition of a game called catch the girl, in which the two riders ( male and female) take off on horseback and the male tries to catch the female. The female rider whips the male until she is caught. If the male catches the female he is then rewarded with a kiss. . The gala concert was a show put on by the Kazakhstans showing a variety of traditional dances and cultural events. CENTRASBAT 2000 is a multi-national peacekeeping and humanitarian relief exercise sponsored by United States Central Command (US CENTCOM) and hosted by...

The original finding aid described this photograph as:

[Complete] Scene Caption: As part of the opening ceremonies of Central Asian Peacekeeping Battalion (CENTRASBAT)2000, during the gala concert, Kazakhstan performers demonstrate a cultural tradition of a game called catch the girl, in which the two riders ( male and female) take off on horseback and the male tries to catch the female. The female rider whips the male until she is caught. If the male catches the female he is then rewarded with a kiss. . The gala concert was a show put on by the Kazakhstans showing a variety of traditional dances and cultural events. CENTRASBAT 2000 is a multi-national peacekeeping and humanitarian relief exercise sponsored by United States Central Command (US CENTCOM) and hosted by the former Soviet Republic Kazakhstan in Central Asia, 11-20 September 2000. Exercise participants include approximately 300 US troops including personnel from US CENTCOM, the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and 300 Kazakhstan soldiers. Other participating nations include: Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan, The United Kingdom, Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Mongolia. CENTRASBAT originated in 1996, and was established to form a joint battalion of soldiers from the former Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan to serve as a key component in developing a regional security and cooperation structure. CENTRASBAT 2000 will test US and Central Asian unit's combat readiness and ability to conduct peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, as well as develop and build cooperative relationships between the respective states and assist in laying the foundation for future peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, 13 September 2000.

Subject Operation/Series: CENTRASBAT 2000

Base: Almaty

Country: Kazakhstan (KAZ)

Scene Camera Operator: SSGT Jeremy T. Lock

Release Status: Released to Public
Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files