[Mo1]

Why the hell is this breaking news?

Ummmm maybe because we are on the verge of war .. maybe because this ship had just returned from sea and normally doesn't ship back out to see within a week of it's return

I could be wrong .. it's just a guess on my part

[Mo1]

doesn't ship back out to see within a week of it's return

sorry typo .. see should be sea

[HiJinx]

From previous post (oops, forgot to copy the link...)
So, on December 8th, this was just routine. And on December 27th, well, not so routine, eh?

U.S. Says Homebound Carrier Is a Routine Rotation
(USS George Washington due back in US by Dec. 20)

Reuters / ABC

Posted on 12/08/2002 10:44 AM MST by RCW2001

Dec. 8

— By Douglas Hamilton DOHA (Reuters) - U.S. military officials refused on Sunday to be drawn on deployments in and out of the potential Iraq war zone, insisting they were routine.

One aircraft carrier battle group that military analysts calculated would stay on for overtime in the region if war were imminent, the USS George Washington, is winding up its tour on schedule and is due back in the United States by Dec. 20.

"It is on schedule to return to its home port of Norfolk, Virginia in mid-December," Commander Bob Ross told Reuters from 6th Fleet headquarters in Naples, Italy.

"Its state of readiness is at a peak. This is normal," he added, but declined comment on a report that crews were being "kept together for 30 days" on standby in case of action.