Explosions rocked the carrier, but Bradley, the ship's assistant first lieutenant, led a repair party and battled the blaze on the second and third decks.

Their success in fighting the fire led many of the men to believe that if they could clear the smoke from Princeton's largely undamaged machinery spaces, they could raise steam and save the ship.

[2] Bradley had repeatedly risked his life, entering the most dangerous areas below deck to ascertain the extent of the damage and to fight the fires blazing on board.

For his "outstanding fortitude, great personal valor, and self-sacrificing devotion to the completion of an extremely perilous task," as well as his "extraordinary heroism," Bradley received the Navy Cross posthumously.

Robert G. Bradley intercepted fishing vessel Recuerdo, smuggling 9.2 short tons (8.3 t) of cocaine, in the eastern Pacific (3 August 2001).

In company with destroyer David R. Ray, Robert G. Bradley monitored and boarded fishing vessel Lilliana 1, took the boat under tow when she developed engine trouble, and brought her 13 crewmembers ashore (24 September–5 October).

The ship operated as the on-scene commander for the search and rescue of fishing vessel Fufu Chen and her nine crewmembers off the Costa Rican coast (17–19 July).

Guided missile frigate Rentz transferred 19 narcotics smugglers she had apprehended to Robert G. Bradley in Panamanian waters, which then turned them over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (8–13 August).

Robert G. Bradley and a U.S. Coast Guard Lockheed HC-130H "Hercules" chased a go fast that escaped into Colombian waters and beached herself on the Island de Providencia (30 August).