News

USS Enterprise Battle Group relieves USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Battle Group NAVY WIRE SERVICE (NWS) - 30 November 1998 by USS Enterprise Public Affairs ARABIAN GULF (NWS) -- The USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Battle Group arrived in the Arabian Gulf during the Thanksgiving holiday and relieved the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Battle Group on station. "Right now, the battle group is settling into its routine after our arrival," said Rear Adm. J. Cutler Dawson, Commander, Enterprise Battle Group, headquartered in Mayport, Fla. "Some of the ships are involved in maritime interdiction operations and the ships that were already here upon our arrival now fall under our task force. Presence is what we're about. "We're also flying," he continued, "starting to support Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the no-fly zone over southern Iraq." One critical aspect of the Enterprise Battle Group's assimilation into the region has been assistance from Destroyer Squadron FIFTY, the Bahrain-based unit with a wealth of U.S. 5th Fleet operating experience. Dawson said that they hit the Enterprise deck running and made immediate contributions to the battle group's preparation. "They (DESRON 50) are here 365 days a year," Dawson said. "They are very familiar with all the Gulf countries and the coalition forces here that support us. It was obvious right away when they came on board that they knew their business. They were incorporated into the battle group in a matter of hours." Dawson is confident the Enterprise Battle Group has already overcome any impact on readiness, citing previous training evolutions and a comprehensive turnover with the Eisenhower Battle Group as they sailed out of the theater. Eisenhower is heading west after a successful deployment and is scheduled to arrive in Norfolk in mid- December. -USN-