home of the 'Bastogne Bulldogs', 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. One of the first priorities was repair of the runway and tower, and the airfield was then able to accept the largest US transports, such as Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. After 69 days of around-the-clock work, soldiers of the 37th Engineer Battalion, out of Fort Bragg, NC, repaired the craters that littered the main airstrip at Q-West and had prevented planes from landing there; as a result, a more secure route for needed items was established. Qayyarah West was protected by a security perimeter. Within the perimeter, vegetation growth highlights drew attention to the base. Vegetation planted to obscure the base from ground observation had the opposite effect when viewed from overhead. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, only a handful of the 101 Airborne's 1st Brigade actually lived on base; most of the soldiers were spread around the region, where they were tasked with missions such as local outreach and assistance, search and cordon, safety patrols and guard duty for important archaeological sites to prevent looting. The outlying troops lived where they worked, some in tents, others in makeshift quarters in existing buildings. FOB Endurance FOB Endurance was located at Qayyarah Airfield West. It was another name for FOB Q-West. The facility is surrounded by desert and no settlements are located near the base. In November 2004, the facility's internet access was slow relative to that available at Mosul Airbase and sometimes prone to not working. Phone access was reported to be limited. Mail deliveries were described as taking extra time because of the facility's remote location, but were running at about 3 per week, while outgoing mail was limited to one or two times per month. A soldier-operated mini-PX opened on November 20, 2004, in room 116 of the bombed out palace. The mini-PX was to be supplied with stock from the main PX warehouse at Mosul Airbase. Other facilities at FOB Endurance included a dining facility, an MWR building with a theater. The base gym which, in November 2004, was operated by KBR, offered a basketball court, along with access to free weights, exercise bicycles and treadmills. On December 17, 2004, the 917th Corps Support Group took over the duties of the 167th Corps Support Group at FOB Endurance. The 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment and 163rd Ordnance Detachment F was also stationed at the facility starting around November