November 12, 1996 USS
Gonzalez
grounded on a coral reef at approximately 0800, off the island of
Sint Maarten
, damaging her sonar dome and several blades on both screws, costing $10 million in damage returning to service September 1997.
[
citation needed
]
The ship took part in
Operation Allied Force
, firing
Tomahawk
cruise missiles at Serbian targets in 1999.
Gonzalez
also assisted a
cruise ship
,
Seabourn Spirit
,
after an abortive attack by
pirates
off the coast of
Somalia
in 2005.
[4]
On 1 March 2006, the ship rescued the crew of an Iranian ship, whose engine and rudder were broken down since 18 February. The Iranian crew were returned to
Iran
. She was involved in the
action of 18 March 2006
with suspected pirates, along with the cruiser
USS?
Cape St. George
. The two ships exchanged fire with the suspected pirates about 25 nautical miles (46?km) off the coast of Somalia. Initial reports indicated that one suspected pirate was killed and five others wounded.
On 17 July 2006,
CNN
reported that
Gonzalez
would be deployed to help in evacuation efforts of American citizens from
Lebanon
in the midst of the
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
.
[5]
In May 2022,
Gonzalez
was homeported out of
Naval Station Norfolk
and a part of
Destroyer Squadron 28
, along with
Carrier Strike Group 8
led by the
USS?
Harry S. Truman
.
[6]
- James F. Chezek Memorial Gunnery Award (1998)