In a country where safety dominates everyday concern, a police station would seem a friendly enough spot.
In fact, Iraqi police, or IP's, have been frequent and favorite targets of insurgents.
On a recent day in Baghdad, the job of securing one station fell to Louisiana National Guardsmen, the 39th Military Police.
Before it begins, the mission is almost a bust.
"The weather's getting bad out there," complained one Sergeant.
In the Iraqi desert, day turns to night in an instant. Dust storms brew in the distance, a swirl of sand that might rise a mile high.
"Last time that happened," recalled the MP, "they made us all go back to (Camp) Shield, which that would kind of suck today because I was expecting to get a lot done."
The concern involved any possible attack on the station. The dust storm threatened to ground helicopters, which would make it impossible to medevac anyone injured.
A reprieve came when superiors radioed that the choppers could, in fact, fly.
That did not mean this day was, in any way, routine.
The MP unit serves as the shield for a class in firearms safety. The students are Iraqi Police Commanders, who will, in turn, instruct fellow Iraqis.
"Most of them are very, very eager to learn," explained Ronald Miller, a private contractor conducting the class. "It's a dangerous job for them."
Miller and another contractor, Patrick Minor, were interviewed by Julie Dermansky and Phin Percy, two photographers embedded with Louisiana troops and providing Fox 8 exclusive reports.
They explain the Louisiana MP's provide Iraqi Police basic training while contractors handle the more advanced classes, forensics and crime scene work.
"There's a lot more trust now between us and the Iraqi police," said Minor, "and there's a lot more trust between the Iraqi police and the Iraqi citizens."
Yet, only a few weeks ago, fresh bombing attacks killed nearly 100 Iraqis. The country's National Security Chief blamed Al Qaeda's attempt to plant new terror cells in Iraqi cities.
For the Louisiana guardsmen and others involved, securing Iraq remains a job unfinished.
