PROGRESS

Renovating the station, located on the southwestern edge of Al-Sadr City -- formerly known as Saddam City -- is just one of the many jobs completed by the 94th Eng. Bn.

Led by 2nd Lt. Jessica Durbin, a platoon leader in the 94th Eng. Bn., the unit's carpenters, masons, electricians and plumbers began work on the station June 15.

The Americans and Iraqis worked side-by-side on the station while sharing and learning construction techniques. The Iraqi contractors were pleased to learn that the U.S. troops had skills other than soldiering, and were willing to use them to renovate local facilities, officials said.

Throughout the project, soldiers and contractors worked hand-in-hand. For example, while an Army electrician installed a light fixture, an Iraqi electrician was wiring it in. As the work progressed, the engineers formed solid professional working relationships with many of the Iraqi contractors...

Americans and Iraqis alike said the job was a great learning experience. Faris commented that the Iraqi contractors were better at masonry than their multi-tasked U.S. counterparts. Due to their vast experience, Faris said, the Iraqi masons could "run laps around" the engineers in plastering the station's walls.

"This is not only about building a police station - it is about building relationships," said Durbin.