"The police are only effective to the extent that they can enforce laws," Berger said.

The work is nothing like his duties in Davis County, where the 42-year-old West Point resident does "anything and everything we ask him to do," said Davis County Sheriff's Lt. Brad Wilcox. During his 10 years on the Davis County detective force, Berger has busted white supremacists, booked burglars and solved multiple crimes.

Instead of sleeping quietly in his Davis County home, Berger struggles to get a wink of sleep. Most nights, the sky is alive with gunfire and rocket launches.

Despite the challenges, Berger said the work is all worth it.

"The work is hard and dangerous," Berger said. "However, it's very rewarding to see the effects we are having here. . . . I'm proud to serve and to make a difference to so many people here, to help secure them a better way of life and ultimately secure our way of life back home."

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Contributing: Laura Hancock; E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com