On 20 June 2020, the US Navy announced that they would be taking Fort Worth out of commission in March 2022,[8] and placing her, along with Freedom, Independence, and Coronado in reserve.

[9][10] On 18 June 2021, Naval News reported that Fort Worth would be inactivated in FY 2022 and put on the Out of Commission in Reserve (OCIR) list.

[13] The ship will also feature automated sensors to allow "conditions-based maintenance" and reduce crew overwork and fatigue issues that Freedom had on her first deployment.

[15] This was after a long public relations campaign by United States Representative Kay Granger, former Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England, and others.

[26] Fort Worth conducted additional evaluations of her surface warfare technologies in early 2014 in scenarios involving small boat swarms, engagements with the 57 mm gun, and search and seizure exercises.

The ship will be used to expand operational envelopes that were not done by the previous deployment of USS Freedom to the region, particularly concerning the mine counter measures (MCM) package.

Another area of focus is to use the ship to provide "non-traditional" maritime lift for U.S. Marines due to constraints in the number of big deck amphibious vessels available to the 7th Fleet.

[30] Fort Worth departed her homeport of San Diego on 17 November 2014 for a 16-month rotational deployment to Singapore in support of the U.S. Navy's strategic rebalance to the Pacific.

[37] On 13 May 2015 the Chinese foreign ministry sent a complaint to the United States after Fort Worth made freedom of navigation passage near Spratly Islands claimed by China.

[39] On 12 January 2016, according to a memo from the service, it was reported that Fort Worth was sidelined in port at Singapore indefinitely because of damage to gears that propel the vessel, which resulted from a failure to use enough lubricating oil.

[42] However, the USN announced on 13 April 2016, that Fort Worth would transit back to San Diego on her gas turbines instead, with the journey scheduled for summer 2016.

[43] It was expected that Fort Worth would take six weeks to travel from Singapore to San Diego with several underway replenishments and planned fueling stops along the way.