William P. Lawrence departed
Naval Station San Diego, California, on 14 January 2013, for her first overseas deployment as part of a four-ship surface action group from
Carrier Strike Group 11. On 1 March 2013,
William P. Lawrence entered the
Persian Gulf for operations with
Carrier Strike Group 3. On 11 March 2013, the ship rendered assistance to a burning vessel while operating in the
Strait of Hormuz. In April 2013, on two separate occasions,
William P. Lawrence joined the in rendering assistance to civilian mariners in distress while operating in the
Gulf of Oman, as part of
Combined Task Force 150. Starting 2 September 2013,
William P. Lawrence began operating in the
Red Sea, as part of Carrier Strike Group 11. On 22 September 2013, a large wave hit a helicopter and pushed it into the
Red Sea shortly after it landed on
William P. Lawrence, resulting in the death of two pilots. The vessel was moving at
flank speeds to relieve another escort ship in a defensive screen around
Carrier Strike Group 3 in
U.S. Central Command. The wave came over the
starboard side of the flight deck and struck the helicopter less than ten minutes after landing and being chocked and chained (red deck), with rotors still spinning. The other three aircrew members were rescued. On 10 May 2016, the US Navy reported that the ship sailed close to the
Fiery Cross Reef, as part of a planned series of
Freedom of navigation operations, (also referred to as FONOPs) in the area. The operation prompted the
PRC to express "dissatisfaction and opposition"; a Pentagon spokesperson said that the operation was undertaken to challenge the "excessive maritime claims by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam which were seeking to restrict navigation rights in the South China Sea." In 2016, the ship was part of
Destroyer Squadron 21. , the ship was assigned to the
United States Fourth Fleet supporting
Joint Interagency Task Force South. In November 2020, she served as an off-shore base for
MH-60R Seahawk helicopters of
HSM-37 conducting disaster relief operations in the aftermath of
Hurricane Eta.
William P. Lawrence participated in
RIMPAC 2022. ==POW/MIA table==