"Sample" returned to Pearl Harbor on 12 December. A post-deployment period of leave and liberty took her into the new year, 1971. "Sample" spent the entire year in Hawaii, either in port at Pearl Harbor or cruising in the local operating area. During the latter part of January, she began a period of availability, including a drydock period, which lasted until June. From June to December, she operated in Hawaiian waters; first, undergoing trials; then, refresher training; and, finally, participating in ASW exercises. The end of 1971 and the beginning of 1972 brought preparations for overseas movement. On 27 January 1972, "Sample" got underway for an extended deployment to the western Pacific. During the major portion of 1972, she alternated between SAR, PIRAZ, and naval gunfire support duties off the coast of Vietnam. She departed Vietnamese waters on 10 August and re-entered Pearl Harbor on the 25th.