A former Gloucester resident is literally helping to rebuild Iraq, working with Iraqi soldiers to construct barracks needed to house the fledgling army.

U.S. Army Specialist Jeffrey Berger has been in touch with the Gazette-Journal about his recent work in Iraq. Berger wanted his friends back home to know about his latest assignment and to offer his impression of the Iraqis with whom he has been working side by side.

At age 15, Berger moved to Gloucester from California in the summer of 2004. His mother, Jane Dixon, still resides in the Court House area. He enrolled at Gloucester High School that fall and joined the Army when he turned 18.

Berger is stationed out of Fort Lewis, Wash., and is in Iraq as part of Operation New Dawn, helping to turn the country back over to its people. He cannot say exactly where he is but Berger did indicate that he has seen a lot of Northern Iraq.

"I joined the Army because the Gloucester area is a great place to grow up and raise kids or ...