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Visit to Kyrgyzstan brings Reserve Generation into community

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan --  The U.S. Air Forces Central band "Reserve Generation" toured Kyrgyzstan March 5 to 14 during their two-month deployment from Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

The five-person group, together with their audio engineer and officer in charge, played at five venues off the Transit Center at Manas as well as two concerts at the installation.
"We were very honored to play at some prestigious universities, the youth center, and in the house of culture," said Maj. Keith Bland, the OIC deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where he is a conductor.

The band played cover tunes that are highly recognizable as "American" music, including classic rock, rhythm and blues, and country. Many of the audience members were able to sing along, and even got up and danced.

"I really liked the music, especially the guitar," said Elviura Djakijrova, one student from the Kyrgyz Economic University. "Americans are so funny, so happy all the time."

The gratitude for the opportunities to interact was equal on both sides. Each dean, principal, and mayor thanked the Air Force and U.S. Embassy. The Transit Center Airmen and embassy representatives were grateful to the host organizations for allowing them to showcase a different side of the military.

According to the official Air Force band Web site, www.bands.af.mil, "Air Force bands organize, train and deploy professional Airman musicians, harnessing the power of music to inspire immediate, positive, and long-lasting impressions of the United States Air Force and the United States of America in the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide."

"The group came by invitation," said Lauren Perlaza, U.S. Embassy cultural affairs representative. She encouraged onlookers to come up after each show to take photos and say hello - which many local Kyrgyz people did.

"I miss the USA," said Renat Akhmetshia, a university student here who spent time in Chicago in an exchange program more than three years ago before returning to his home country.

Most people in the United States have never even heard of Kyrgyzstan, Renat said; but while he was there, he told them a lot about his culture. Now, he's happy to see Americans coming to his home soil to show Kyrgyz people what Americans are like.

"I had such good times. This concert brought me back to the States," he said.