 In 1986 New Jersey began her next deployment , this time operating as part of the Pacific Fleet and as the centerpiece of her own battle group . This was first time that New Jersey had operational control of her own group of escorts since the Korean War , and she cruised from Hawaii to Thailand in 1986 , freeing up U.S. aircraft carriers for other missions and in the process becoming the only major U.S. naval presence in the region from May to October . Although in command of her own Battleship Battlegroup New Jersey did sail with the aircraft carriers USS Ranger ( CV @-@ 61 ) and USS Constellation ( CV @-@ 64 ) and USS Thach ( FFG @-@ 43 ) while deployed in 1986 . 
