May 16, 2002 USS Guardian arrived off the coast of Thailand to participate in a joint/combined exercise Cobra Gold 2002. The Armed Forces of Thailand, Singapore and the United States are conducting the 21st Exercise Cobra Gold in Thailand May 14-28.

June 5, MCM 5 became the first U.S. Navy mine countermeasure ship to successfully employ the Mission Package Three (MP-3) explosive moored mine neutralization system on May 23. During mine hunting operations, the Guardian located a moored exercise mine off the coast of Sattahip, Thailand. After being located by the ship, Guardian made preparations to neutralize the exercise mine with the latest addition to the Navy's mine warfare arsenal. Mission package Three (MP-3) consists of a 90 pound bomblet packed with approximately 60 pounds of high explosives, a detachable arm, and a float assembly.

March 3, 2004 Mine Countermeasures Division (MCMDIV) 11, USS Guardian, USS Patriot and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5 Det. 51 participated in Mine Warefare-Explosive Ordnance Disposal exercise (MINEX-EODEX) ’04 off the coast of Shimonoseki, Japan, Feb. 14-25.

June 16, 2005 MCM 5 is currently in its sixth week of deployment, conducting joint and combined training exercises with armed forces throughout the western Pacific. The forward-deployed mine countermeasures ship originally set sail April 16 from Sasebo, Japan, en route to Sattahip, Thailand, to conduct a multinational mine warfare exercise with the Royal Thai Navy. USS Guardian conducted exercises and multiship training evolutions with USS Safeguard (ARS 50), a forward-deployed rescue and salvage ship operating out of Sasebo, Japan, and embarked personnel from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 51, forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan, throughout the transit to Thailand. With a brief stop in Okinawa, Japan, following the CONREP, she sailed to Thailand to perform surface mine countermeasures operations in exercise Cobra Gold 2005. Throughout Cobra Gold, ship was tasked with the location and positive identification of various mine shapes using its high-powered sonar, surface mine-laying and mine recovery.

July 8, USS Guardian, commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Delbert Yordy, returned to Sasebo, Japan, after completing a successful three-month deployment that included three joint exercises and port visits in six countries. During the deployment the mine countermeasures ship participated in a passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Russian navy; teamed up with USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) and USS Patriot to conduct mine countermeasure procedures in Russian waters. Guardian also had the opportunity to visit Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Russia.

August 25, USS Guardian departed Sasebo to conduct various minesweeping operations, basic engineering casualty control exercises (BECCE) and at-sea fire party drills in order to maintain proficiency for future deployments.

January 25, 2006 The mine countermeasures ship returned to Sasebo, Japan, after completing underway mine sweep training and main space fire drills. Mine hunting efficiency was top priority for the minesweeper as it practiced numerous mine-searching scenarios. During the exercise, the crew took the variable depth sonar down to 1,000 ft. The variable depth sonar is one of the main devices used for mine detection.

February 17, Two forward deployed U.S Navy mine countermeasures ships with embarked personnel and 19 Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) assets began a joint and combined MINEX-EODEX (Mine Exercise/Explosive Ordnance Disposal Exercise) 2006 off the coast of Kure, Japan, Feb. 15. The Sasebo, Japan-based MCM 5 and MCM 7 will participate in a two-week exercise with JDS Uraga (MST 463), JDS Bungo (MST 464) and 17 JMSDF mine countermeasures ships.

July 27, USS Guardian pulled into Niigata, Japan, for a scheduled port visit as part of a training underway period, just after the ship completed a ship's restricted availability (SRA) period.

September 18, MCM 5 arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, for a scheduled port visit. The ship moored alongside USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) in Russia's largest naval base in the Far East.

January 19, 2007 USS Guardian, along with USS Patriot (MCM 7), arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, to begin its training availability period (TRAV).

February 8, The mine countermeasures ship pulled to Shimonoseki, Japan, for a routine port visit.

February 17, USS Guardian returned to Sasebo after a successful three-day passing exercise (PASSEX) with Japanese maritime assets. The two U.S. forward-deployed mine countermeasures ships departed Kure, Japan, Feb. 15 after a brief port visit and joined two Yaeyama-class minesweepers, JDS Tsushima (MSO 302) and JDS Hachijou (MSO 303), from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF).

March 21, MCM 5 arrived in Chinhae, Republic of Korea, in preparation for the upcoming bilateral exercises Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (RSOI) and Foal Eagle (FE) 07. While in ROK, the Guardian will participate with ROK mine sweepers to increase bilateral interoperability in this mission area.

May 2, USS Guardian recently departed Muara, Brunei, after a brief port stop.

May 11, The mine countermeasures ship is currently participated in an regularly scheduled multi-national exercise Cobra Gold 2007, off the coast of Thailand, May 8-18.

June 1, USS Guardian completed an eight-day maintenance availability May 29, which focused on repairs and material upgrades, at Sembawang Wharf, on the northern-most portion of Singapore.

June 11, MCM 5 recently departed Palawan, Philippines, after a four-day port visit.

June 27, The Sasebo-based minesweepers, USS Guardian and USS Patriot (MCM 7), made a two-day port visit to Yonaguni, Japan, on June 24-26, marking the first time a Navy vessel has visited the Japanese island since the United States returned Okinawa to Japan in 1972.

June 29, The Guardian returned to Sasebo after a three-month spring patrol to Pacific Rim nations.

October 2, MCM 5 concluded a two-day passing exercise (PASSEX) with a Japanese mine hunter JDS Ukushima (MSO 686) Sept. 25.

November 14, USS Guardian pulled to Hai Phong, Vietnam, for a scheduled port visit.

May 8, 2008 Lt. Cmdr. Theodore E. Essenfield relieved Lt. Cmdr. Steven H. DeMoss as new CO.

August 19, The mine countermeasures ship is currently undergoing tailored mine warfare unit-level training assessment certification in the Pacific Ocean, evaluated by assessors from Afloat Training Group.

April 3, 2009 USS Guardian and USS Patriot arrived in the port of Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture for a goodwill port visit. It is the second time a U.S. military ship has called in a private port in Okinawa Prefecture since the prefecture’s reversion to Japanese administration from U.S. rule in 1972, following a port call by the two vessels at Yonaguni Island in 2007.

May 25, The Guardian and Patriot pulled to Hong Kong for a scheduled port visit.

July 2, Lt. Cmdr. Bryce Benson relieved Lt. Cmdr. Theodore E. Essenfield as commanding officer of USS Guardian, during a change-of-command ceremony at Fleet Activities Sasebo.

November 21, USS Guardian, along with USS Defender (MCM 2) and USS Patriot, pulled to Chinhae, Republic of Korea, to participate in annual mine counter-measures exercise Clear Horizon.

January 25, 2010 MCM 5 pulled to dry-dock at SSK Shipyard in Sasebo for a scheduled Selective Restricted Availability.

July 19, The Guardian arrived in Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) for a one-month training availability.