Tuz Khurmatu Airbase
Al Tuz Airfield
Tuz Khurmatu Airbase is located approximately 180 kilometers North of Baghdad, and about 14 kilometers West of the town of Tuz Khurmatu. The airbase is served by a 9,800 foot long runway. There are at least 8 hardened aircraft shelters visiable in the 1995 CIB imagery.

FOB Bernstein
FOB Bernstein is a former Iraq Air field. What was once an airfield for the Iraqi military is the home to several hundred 25th Infantry Division (Light) Soldiers during their year-long deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Located on a desolate, flat range of ankle-high shrubbery about 10 miles from the city of Tuz, Forward Operating Base Bernstein is the headquarters for Task Force 1-14 Infantry. The bunkers and hangars on FOB Bernstein are now used as a base of operations for the battalion-sized task force working out of 2nd Brigade Combat Team's Area of Operations South. The task force's mission is to defeat anti-coalition efforts and isolate its area of operations from external threats. The task force is comprised of Soldiers from several units with many different military occupational specialties. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 14th Inf. Regiment; Battery C, 2nd Bn., 11th Field Artillery Rgt.; Btry. B, 1st Bn., 62nd Air Defense Artillery Rgt.; Company B, 65th Engineer Bn.; Co. B, 125th Signal Bn., 225th Forward Support Bn., and Enlisted Tactical Air Control personnel from the Air Force conduct operations out of FOB Bernstein.

As February 2004 came to a close, the 1st Battalion 14th Infantry [Task Force Golden Dragons] was solidly planted in Iraq and was fully engaged in all aspects of military operations. The first operation was the 600 mile tactical convoy through Iraq to the Forward Operating Base (and new home) near the city of Tuz. The operation took four days and tested discipline to stay ever ready for contact the entire time. Upon arrival at Tuz, the unit conducted a relief in place with the 1st BN, 508th Infantry (from 173d ABN in Italy). Initially, Anti Coalition Forces attacked the camp with rocket fire. Most of the BN was living and operating from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Burnstein (near Tuz). A portion of the BN is located roughly 40 KMs north in FOB GRANT. A small part of HHC and company supply sergeants are located in Kirkuk with the Brigade headquarters. The Battalion's area of operations is large - roughly 150 Kms by 75 Kms. The living conditions are a little austere but certainly adequate. Every soldier lives in a hard site with heat and AC, but limited e-mail and phone access.

The first part of their "Golden Dragons' Iraq Tour 2004" was their mission in the Mosul region. The Golden Dragons were originally supposed to be attached to I Corps' Stryker Brigade Combat Team for 60 days in an operation to capture high-value targets. Ten days into that operation they were redirected to head south to engage Sadr militia fighters in Najaf. Two weeks later, they all returned to FOB Bernstein.

As part of their expanding "Golden Dragons' Iraq Tour 2004," Soldiers of Task Force 1-14 Infantry have moved again. This time it's different from their previous Mosul and Najaf missions in April 2004, since they will not leave any assets or return to Forward Operation Base Bernstein near the city of Tuz. Instead, Soldiers from TF 1-14 INF will be stationed up north at Kirkuk Air Base, while TF 1-120 INF of the North Carolina National Guard will take over the FOB Bernstein.

1st Lt. David Bernstein and Pfc. John Hart, soldiers in Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade, were killed when their convoy also came under attack from rocket-propelled grenades and machinegun fire. Bernstein and Hart were in the last vehicle in a quick reaction force convoy. They got cut off from the rest of the convoy when guerilla fighters shot a RPG at their vehicle causing the driver, Spc. Joshua Sams, Charlie Company, to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a dirt berm. The vehicle came to a stop on top of Sams' arm. Bernstein, mortally wounded from a gunshot wound to the leg, crawled over to Sams' side under direct fire, and pushed on the gas pedal with his hand, moving the vehicle forward off of Sams' arm. Bernstein collapsed shortly afterward and died. The RPG explosion killed Hart who was in the back of the humvee.