In August 2011 USS "Sampson" pulled into South Harbor in Seattle, Washington, to participate in Seattle's Seafair celebration. In September, USS "Sampson" dispatched an inflatable boat and swimmers to retrieve about 60 bales of assorted drugs from the ocean after the small boat dumped them overboard. After that the ship participated in USS "Abraham Lincoln" (CVN-72) Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), in preparation for an independent deployment. In February 2012 USS Sampson departed San Diego for a scheduled deployment to the western Pacific and Middle East. In July, USS "Sampson" participated in at-sea phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Singapore.