training operations. Those were interrupted by search-and-rescue efforts following the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 on 31 January 2000. Departing Everett on 31 March1, Fife sailed west to the Persian Gulf via Pearl Harbor and Townsville and Darwin, Australia. She transited the Strait of Hormuz on 19 May and began sanction enforcement operations three days later. The warship departed the Gulf on 2 August and, after stops in Phukett, Singapore, and Hong Kong, she returned once again to Everett on 29 September. Fife spent the remainder of the year preparing for her upcoming shipyard availability and started 2001 in Todd Shipyard Seattle, where, among other work, she received an upgrade to the Advanced Tomahawk Weapon Control System. She completed her training cycle on 23 October, right after a change of command when Fife's final commanding officer, Commander Fernandez L. Ponds was instated. Fife then headed south on a six-week surge to South America, where she seized 600 pounds of cocaine before returning to homeport on 14 December. After splitting the winter between Everett and San Diego, Fife geared up for her final deployment. On 20 May 2002, Fife departed from Everett and headed south for six months off the coast of Central and South America. Taking along HSL 47 Detachment 3, as well as a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET), Fife began the deployment with a few weeks of counter-narcotics operations, during which time she located a vessel loaded with illegal migrants from Ecuador. The vessel was intercepted and escorted to Guatemala where it was turned over to authorities. In July, Fife embarked Commander, Destroyer Squadron 14, and served as the US Flagship in the Chilean-sponsored UNITAS 43-02 Pacific Phase exercises. A month of training and exercises with five different Central and South American navies culminated in a full-scale three-day war-at-sea exercise. Upon the conclusion of the UNITAS exercises, Fife participated with the submarine forces of Peru in the Silent Force Exercise (SIFOREX). Through sixteen ASW exercises, Fife demonstrated her ASW prowess, and was not "sunk" by the enemy forces. Decommissioning and disposal For the last four months of Fife's final deployment she continued with her counter-narcotic mission. Nine suspected drug smugglers were detained, and over two tons of cocaine were recovered. All told, Fife interdicted over $900 million worth, as well as making the largest bust of illegal shark fin on record – $6.5 million. Fife returned