Texas spent the first three months of 1978 conducting at-sea evaluation of her propulsion and weapons systems off the Virginia Capes and in the Caribbean.

On 28 March, she transited to her building yard at Newport News to commence a Post Shakedown Availability (PSA) which was completed on 31 July.

The remainder of 1978 was spent in individual ship exercises off the east coast and Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, interspersed with periods in her home port of Norfolk, Virginia.

[3] The maiden deployment of Texas was with the USS Nimitz Carrier Battle Group (CBG) in the Mediterranean and North Arabian Seas during the Iranian hostage crisis in support of Operation Eagle Claw.

In 1980–81, during a maintenance period she received two 4-cell Harpoon anti-ship missile batteries and two CIWS gun mounts for anti-missile defense.

Texas spent the first part of the following year operating in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea after visits to Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Monaco, Morocco and Cote D'Ivoire.

On 19 July, while departing the Fisherman Island Wharf, Texas was damaged above the waterline after colliding with the quay, but continued after repairs were made.

[citation needed] After Dry Dock in Bremerton Washington she returned to its homeport Alameda, California, Texas deployed with the Carl Vinson Carrier Battle Group (CBG) for Westpac 1988 as the Anti-Air Warfare Commander.

This, her fourth major deployment, included port visits to Singapore, Subic Bay, Hawaii, Thailand, Hong Kong and Kenya.