In 1982 the boat completed a non-refueling overhaul in Mare Island Naval Shipyard. During sea trails, it experienced severe angles while completing a crashback maneuver while submerged. It recovered and made its way to San Diego, then went to its home port in Groton, Ct. (Subron 2) via the Panama Canal. After shakedowns and short cruises in 1983, in 1984 Sculpin served in the Mediterranean performing picket duty between Syria and the USS New Jersey as the New Jersey shelled Lebanon (a consequence of the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beruit.