Elrod participated in numerous Earnest Will escort missions whereby U.S. surface combatants provided security to U.S. flagged tankers from the Gulf of Oman ("Goo"), through the Strait of Hormuz, to Kuwaiti ports.

In the NAG, Elrod's protective envelope, as well as logistics support, included mobile sea bases "Hercules" and "Wimbrown VII."

The ship participated in TEAMWORK '92, NATO's Arctic Ocean anti-submarine exercise, and Operation Sharp Guard, in support of multi-national enforcement of United Nations sanctions and embargoing war materials to the Balkans.

On 5 July, a Lockheed P-3C Orion of Patrol Squadron VP-16, forward-deployed to Djibouti, spotted the 16 survivors in a life raft about 144 miles west of Socotra Island.

The ship made her final deployment during a voyage to the Sixth Fleet in 2014, during which she steamed in the central Mediterranean as part of NATO's Operation Active Endeavour, patrols in support of the Global War on Terrorism, with the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout.

Three armed Libyans seized commercial tanker Morning Glory, which Rear Admiral John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary, called a “stateless vessel,” early in March 2014.

Just after 1500 on 16 March, the SEALs boarded and took control of Morning Glory in international waters just southeast of Cyprus, capturing the hijackers and freeing the crewmembers.

Stout dispatched a team of sailors that boarded the tanker and relieved the SEALs, and which then helped sail the ship to Libyan waters.