There were several of us who speculated during her return prior to Christmas that she MIGHT be doing a short turnaround ... and that appears to have been the case. A short turnaround like this is ideal for refreshing the crew and taking on supplies and equipment that you don't wish to have to ship in a visible manner to the group while it's on-station. It costs less and you can do more with fewer prying eyes when you're in port. Plus they needed a crew change.
The Media was SURE that the carrier's return meant certain delay in the implementation of any measures of force. Once again, the Media is WRONG.
Michael
This is not breaking news because on the day that the GW returned to Norfolk, the carrier group commander (Stuffelbeem?) said that they would be on 96 hour notice for redeployment.