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-