Shipyard and commenced an overhaul which lasted until 9 November. During the yard work, her main propulsion plant was converted to use navy distillate fuel. The destroyer continued her operations out of San Diego along the southern California coast until mid-June 1973. On the 11th, she stood out of San Diego and headed north to Seattle, Washington. There, she embarked naval reservists and shaped a course for the western Pacific, via Adak, Alaska. For the rest of the summer, she participated in Operation "Charger SurfPac 1-73", during which successive complements of reservists received training in 7th Fleet operations and the opportunity to train with elements of friendly foreign navies. The capability of the Naval Reserve to augment the fleet on short notice was demonstrated by the airlift which brought in new groups of reservists at regular intervals once the deployment had begun. Southerland reentered San Diego on 30 August 1973, successfully concluding Operation "Charger SurfPac 1-73." From September through December, she cruised along the west coast, out of San Diego, with naval reservists embarked for training. Through September 1974, Southerland has continued to operate along the west coast out of San Diego, clearing that area only once in late February and early March to visit Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. En route to Hawaii she was accompanied by the British frigate , and conducted joint exercises including an exchange of crew members by highline transfer and return by helicopter. During her final six months in late 1980 and leading up to the decommissioning, the ship continued her role as a training ship for reservists serving their annual mandatory two weeks of active service. By the summer of 1980 the permanent full-time crew had been reduced to approximately two-thirds of the normal full complement. Training reservists filled out the remaining crew. In August 1980 Southerland made her last foreign port-of-call to Acapulco, Mexico. After a brief stop in Mazatlan for fuel, Southerland continued on to Acapulco and spent three full days at anchor near the mouth of the harbor before returning to port in San Diego. During the fall of 1980 she participated in several naval gunnery and training exercises off of southern San Clemente Island. Decommissioning in 1981, fate Southerland was decommissioned at 10:00 am PST on Thursday, 26 February 1981. The ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 26 February 1981. A planned transfer of Southerland to the Ecuadoran