She is named in honor of the Black crewmembers who served on board USS Mason (DE-529) during the period of racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces.

[3] On 3 October 2006, Mason departed Naval Station Norfolk for a seven-month deployment to the Persian Gulf in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

[citation needed] On 12 March 2011, she sailed through the Suez Canal en route to the Mediterranean, to support possible humanitarian or military action in response to the Libyan Civil War.

[18] On 15 October 2016, Mason was targeted in a third attack by Houthi rebels based in Yemen, by five anti-ship cruise missiles while operating in the Red Sea north of the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

The Navy reported the fifth incoming missile as neutralized by a radar decoy launched from Nitze, after Mason alerted her to the threat.

[19] On 23 May 2017, Mason was awarded the 2016 Battenberg Cup, signifying she was the best all-around ship or submarine in the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet based on crew achievements.

[21] On 14 October 2023, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin directed nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower and her carrier strike group, which includes the cruiser Philippine Sea, along with Mason and sister-destroyers Laboon and Gravely, to the eastern Mediterranean in response to Israel's war with Hamas.

[23] On 26 November 2023, Mason responded to a distress call from the commercial tanker Central Park, which was seized by gunmen in the Gulf of Aden.

Five gunmen tried to escape on a fast boat, but were chased and eventually surrendered to a search and seizure team dispatched by Mason.

Two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen towards the general direction of Mason and Central Park, but they landed about 10 nautical miles away from the ships, with no reported injuries or damage.

[29] On 12 January 2024, Philippine Sea, Mason and Gravely fired Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The facing lions, adapted from the Mason family coat of arms, denote the Atlantic and Pacific campaigns of World War II.

The trident, symbol of sea prowess, represents Mason’s modern warfare capabilities which include the AEGIS weapon system (including Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System from theater ballistic missiles) and Cooperative Engagement Capability.

The motto is in honor of the high achievement of the African American crew of DE-529 who made history with their selfless bravery in defense of the U.S. in World War II, and marks their contribution to the eventual desegregation of the U.S. Navy.