Military Photographer of the Year Winner 1997 Title: Grave Yard Shift Category: News; Portfolio Place: 1ST Place Portfolio Exact Date Shot Unknown Caption: It was an unusual sight to see the Kazak sluggers digging trash pits by hand framed by old soviet By-Planes. They were preparing for the arrival of the 82nd Airborne Division to take place in the Central Asian Battalion U.N. peace keeping training exercise. More than 500 American soldiers who literally "dropped in" to the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan where, instead of conflict, they were welcomed with open arms. Following three in-air refuelings that kept the aircraft aloft, they jumped out of the C-17 airplane ...

The original finding aid described this photograph as:

[Complete] Scene Caption: Military Photographer of the Year Winner 1997 Title: Grave Yard Shift Category: News; Portfolio Place: 1st Place Portfolio Exact Date Shot Unknown Caption: It was an unusual sight to see the Kazak sluggers digging trash pits by hand framed by old soviet By-Planes. They were preparing for the arrival of the 82nd Airborne Division to take place in the Central Asian Battalion U.N. peace keeping training exercise. More than 500 American soldiers who literally "dropped in" to the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan where, instead of conflict, they were welcomed with open arms. Following three in-air refuelings that kept the aircraft aloft, they jumped out of the C-17 airplane and into American military history. The flight was recorded as the longest associated with an airborne jump. Once on the ground, soldiers began a peacekeeping training mission, including interaction with armies from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Latvia, Georgia and NATO ally Turkey.

Base: Tashkent

Country: Russia (RUS)

Scene Camera Operator: STAFF SGT. Gary R. Coppage

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