Uzbekistan soldiers have their parachute harnesses checked before a practice jump from a tower at Fort Bragg, N. C., on Sept. 8, 1997. The soldiers will take part in the longest distance airborne operation in history during Exercise Central Asian Battalion '97. Exercise Central Asian Battalion '97 involves more than 900 military personnel from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan who are training with over 500 U.S. military troops to hone their skills in peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance. The exercise will enhance regional cooperation and increase interoperability training among NATO and Partnership for Peace nations. The exercise is being held in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, and Chirchik, Uzbekistan.