Representatives from a variety of countries stand alongside Brig. Gen. Kenneth Roberts, the U.S. Army Central Command director of operations, while he delivers a speech during the opening ceremony for Steppe Eagle 2013 at the Iliskiy Training Center on Aug. 10. Participating nations include Italy, Kyrgystan, Lithuania, Switzerland, Tajikistan, and the United Kingdom. Steppe Eagle is an annual, multi-national exercise, which is conducted from the Kazakhstan Peacekeeping Brigade and Battalion, the Arizona Army National Guard, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and Third Army/U.S. Central Command. The exercise will help build strong alliances while allowing more than 1,000 participants from seven militaries to practice interoperability.