In July 1987 "Gridley" was part of the USS "Ranger" battle group, conducting strikes against Iranian oil platforms during Operation Nimble Archer, returning to San Diego in January 1988. The ship then departed San Diego, California for the Persian Gulf on 15 December 1988, operating with the "Spruance"-class destroyer to escort reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz during Operation Earnest Will. While homeward bound, transiting the South China Sea, "Gridley" rescued Vietnamese refugees sighted in a small boat off of the coast of Vietnam. A Vietnamese-speaking crewman aboard "Gridley" was able to translate for those rescued, facilitating the process.