Huh? "If this report is true then we know why our carriers are at sea."
We always have carriers at sea. They rotate about every six months.
Not ten groups at once or haven't you been paying attention.
The Navy claims to be testing a new deployment model for its CVBG's. Instead of working up to a 6-month cruise (followed by up to a year in drydock), the Carriers will spend most of their time in port or doing shorter exercises. The idea is less wear 'n tear on the equipment (including the sailors), and increased "surge capacity" -- the ability to shove a whole chunk of your Fleet out to a troublespot all at once.
The Navy may very well be sending a message to North Korea while we transfer a brigade from South Korea to Iraq, or they may be sending a message to .