After the arrival of USS Lewis B. Puller as a permanent AFSB (now designated as Expeditionary Mobile Base (ESB)),[4] Ponce was decommissioned in October 2017 after 46 years of service and 27 deployments.

[6] On 5 August 1990, as part of Operation Sharp Edge to remove US citizens caught up in the civil war in Liberia, Ponce, together with Saipan, Sumter, and Peterson, inserted a United States Marine Corps reinforced rifle company into the U.S. Embassy compound in Monrovia for increased security.

In October, she commenced counter drug operations in the Caribbean with a United States Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment on board.

[7] On 17 March 1993, Ponce departed on a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of Operations "Deny Flight" and "Provide Promise".

Along with the Carter Hall, the Ponce supported all 11 of the LF6F 2-97 tasking, including conducting embassy reinforcements during Operation Silver Wake in Albania, following unrest in the capital.

Following Exercise Dynamic Mix in Greece, Ponce and Carter Hall returned to the East Coast in October, 1996, concluding the entire deployment as a two-ship Amphibious Ready Group.

On 10 January 2003, Ponce received orders to depart Norfolk, Virginia and take on Marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

After breaking the Squadron's pennant at her yardarm[clarification needed], the crews of Ponce and Gunston Hall enjoyed liberty ashore in Manama, Bahrain, from 28 February to 5 March.

She then served as Task Group flagship for a weeks-long minesweeping operation in Iraq, as humanitarian aid was being blocked by naval mines in the Khawr Abd Allah river and the port of Umm Qasr.

The Group used a variety of methods, including MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters towing magnetic minesweeping sleds, trained marine mammals, unmanned underwater vehicles and EOD divers.

On 28 March 2003, a 200-yard (180 m)-wide channel was declared safe, and the British auxiliary vessel RFA Sir Galahad docked at Umm Qasr Port and began offloading hundreds of tons of food and water.

Following a port visit to Augusta Bay, Sicily, Ponce spent three months in the Persian Gulf conducting operations in support of the global War on Terrorism.

[13] On 2 December 2011, Ponce came home to await decommissioning, scheduled for 30 March 2012, when she would be towed to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard,[14] and put in reserve status.

In January 2012, in response to requests from United States Central Command, it was decided that she would be retrofitted and re-deployed as the first of a planned series of mine-countermeasures warships for use in keeping open strategic sea lanes.

[15] On 24 January 2012, Military Sealift Command (MSC) posted a bid request to retrofit USS Ponce on a rush-order basis.

[15][19] [16][20][21] The ship was operated jointly by active-duty Navy officers and sailors, as well as being crewed by government civilian mariners from Military Sealift Command, some of whom were more than 60 years old.

Such a purchase would restore amphibious assault capability to the Argentine Navy, which it has not had since 1997, with the decommissioning of tank landing ship, ARA Cabo San Antonio.