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USS Stein (FF 1065)

USS STEIN was the 15^th KNOX - class frigate and the first ship named after Corporal Tony Stein, USMC, a World War II Medal of Honor winner.

During her 20 years of service, USS STEIN completed 9 major overseas deployments, including one world cruise in 1987. She was present in the Middle East during the Iran-Iraq War and was part of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990/91. USS STEIN was awarded two Meritorious Unit Citations, two Navy Expeditionary Medals, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Southwest Asia Service Medal. The frigate's last homeport was San Diego, Ca.

On January 29, 1997, USS STEIN was purchased by Mexico where she was recommissioned as IGNACIO ALLENDE.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS STEIN. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

• Click here to view the list.

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• Click here to see which USS STEIN memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS STEIN Cruise Books:

• WestPac Cruise Book 1989-90
• Operation Desert Storm Cruise Book 1991

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About the Ship's Name:

Tony Stein was born on 30 September 1921 in Dayton, Ohio. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on 22 September 1942. After service in the South Pacific and home leave, Corporal Stein served overseas again with the 8th Marines; and, on 19 February 1945, he was the first man in his unit to be on station after hitting the beach at Iwo Jima. For his repeated single-handed assaults against the enemy and his valor in aiding wounded marines, Corporal Stein was awarded the Medal of Honor. Less than two weeks after the heroics which won him the nation's highest decoration, he fell mortally wounded during a charge against an enemy machine gun emplacement on Iwo Jima.

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USS STEIN History:

The contract for USS STEIN was awarded to Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company on July 22, 1964. Her keel was laid at Seattle, Washington, on June 1, 1970. She was the fourteenth unit of the KNOX-class, a series of large ocean escorts developed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, convoy protection and the screening of aircraft carriers, amphibious formations and underway-replenishment groups during the Cold War. The ship was launched and christened on December 19, 1970, sponsored by Mrs. Rose S. Parks. USS STEIN (DE 1065) was commissioned at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, on January 8, 1972, with Commander Nepier V. Smith in command. She was assigned to the Pacific Cruiser-Destroyer Force and designated San Diego, California, as her home port. The ship remained in the Puget Sound area for approximately eight weeks after commissioning while fitting-out work, testing and preparations for sea continued.

After completing trials during early March 1972, USS STEIN sailed south and arrived at San Diego on March 17. She began her shakedown cruise later that month, operating along the Pacific coasts of Mexico and South America. The cruise tested the propulsion plant, weapons, sensors, communications equipment and the crew's ability to operate the recently completed ship for extended periods. USS STEIN returned to San Diego in May.

In late June 1972, USS STEIN entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard for post-shakedown repairs and alterations. The availability addressed deficiencies identified during trials and shakedown and continued until December 8. After leaving the yard, the ship resumed local operations and prepared for her first overseas deployment. USS STEIN departed San Diego in the middle of April 1973 for the Western Pacific. She crossed the Pacific by way of Midway Island and Guam and arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippines on May 19. Subic Bay was then the principal United States Navy repair, logistics and training facility in the Western Pacific and served as a base from which surface ships could prepare for extended Seventh Fleet operations.

The deployment occurred during the final phase of the direct American withdrawal from the Vietnam War. The Paris Peace Accords had been signed on January 27, 1973, and the remaining United States combat forces were leaving South Vietnam. The Seventh Fleet nevertheless retained substantial forces in East and Southeast Asian waters to monitor the ceasefire, protect American interests, support regional allies and maintain a naval presence against the background of the broader Cold War.

USS STEIN operated with the Seventh Fleet until the end of August 1973. Her work during this period centered on the anti-submarine, escort and fleet-training missions for which she had been designed. Commander Walter A. Reister relieved Commander Smith as commanding officer on July 1. After completing the principal operational phase of the deployment, USS STEIN began an extended homeward voyage through the southern Pacific. She visited Manus Island during September and subsequently called at Townsville, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand. In October, she visited Sydney, Australia. These calls combined logistics, maintenance and crew-rest requirements with naval contact in two countries that maintained close defense relationships with the United States. USS STEIN continued eastward by way of Suva, Fiji, Pago Pago in American Samoa and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She arrived at San Diego on November 1, 1973, completing her first Western Pacific deployment after approximately six and one-half months away from home.

The remainder of 1973 and the opening months of 1974 were devoted to post-deployment maintenance, inspections and renewed training in the Southern California operating areas. USS STEIN remained near San Diego until June 1974 and then began a period of special operations that continued until the middle of August. After a short port period, she undertook another special assignment that ended at Cubi Point in the Philippines. Her arrival in the Subic Bay area marked the beginning of another period with the Seventh Fleet. USS STEIN operated from Philippine facilities through October, combining readiness work with fleet exercises and anti-submarine training. The strategic focus of the United States Navy in the western Pacific had shifted away from direct combat support in Vietnam toward maintaining access to regional bases, supporting allies and monitoring the growing strength of the Soviet Pacific Fleet.

On October 29, 1974, USS STEIN departed Subic Bay in company with USS COCHRANE (DDG 21), USS CONSTELLATION (CVA 64) and USS BERKELEY (DDG 15). The formation arrived at Singapore on November 4 and remained there for four days. The port was strategically located near the Strait of Malacca, the principal maritime connection between the western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The ships departed Singapore on November 8 and transited the Strait of Malacca. USS CAMDEN (AOE 2) joined the formation as it proceeded toward Pakistan. The force arrived at Karachi on November 19 for Midlink II, a multinational exercise conducted within the framework of the Central Treaty Organization. Naval forces from the United States, Pakistan, Iran and the United Kingdom participated.

Midlink II included communications, maneuvering, air-defense, surface-warfare and anti-submarine training. At that time, Iran remained governed by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and was an important American security partner, while Pakistan continued to participate in the Western-aligned regional defense system. The exercise reflected the strategic importance attached to the Arabian Sea, the approaches to the Persian Gulf and the sea routes linking the Middle East with East Asia and Europe. After the exercise, USS STEIN returned toward Southeast Asia and was again at Singapore by December. She departed Singapore with USS COCHRANE on December 16 and proceeded to Sattahip, Thailand. On December 20 and 21, the two American ships participated in Sea Siam II with the Thai naval vessels HTMS MAKUT RAJAKUMARN (FF 433), HTMS PRASAE (PF 2) and HTMS SARASIN (PC 1). The exercise provided practice in communications, coordinated maneuvering and maritime operations between the United States and Thai navies.

USS STEIN's deployment continued into early 1975 before she returned to San Diego. The following months were spent in maintenance, local training and readiness inspections. Commander Norman L. Rentle relieved Commander Reister on June 26, 1975. On June 30, 1975, USS STEIN was redesignated USS STEIN (FF 1065) during a Navy-wide reclassification of surface combatants. The former destroyer escorts of the KNOX-class became frigates, bringing their American designation more closely into line with the terminology used by allied navies.

During 1976, USS STEIN underwent a major shipyard availability at Northwest Marine Iron Works in Portland, Oregon. The contract was valued at approximately $6 million and included work on the ship's sonar dome and installation of a sewage collection system. The availability formed part of the continuing modernization of the KNOX-class and addressed equipment and environmental requirements that had developed after the ships entered service. USS STEIN subsequently resumed operations from San Diego. Training during the mid-1970s included engineering drills, gunfire exercises, sonar operations, torpedo procedures, helicopter qualifications and coordinated exercises with other Pacific Fleet ships.

During this period, the ship's sonar dome became associated with an unusual case of biological damage. The exact date and location of the occurrence were not identified in the technical account later published by the United States Naval Institute. Increased sonar noise led to inspection of the protective rubber-like coating on the bow dome. Cuts and tears covered approximately eight percent of its surface, and biological fragments resembling the hooks or toothed structures found on squid suckers were recovered from the damaged material. Specialists considered contact with a large squid the most likely explanation, although the available fragments did not permit identification of a particular species or a reliable estimate of the animal's size. Later popular accounts often described the event as an intentional attack by a giant squid, but the technical evidence established only that biological material consistent with a squid had been found in the damaged coating.

Captain Robert C. Gardner briefly assumed command on December 27, 1976. Commander Robert M. Gillett Jr. relieved him on January 2, 1977. USS STEIN continued Pacific Fleet operations and training during 1977 while preparing for another overseas deployment.

During a Western Pacific deployment in 1978, USS STEIN joined USS FOX (CG 33) and USNS HASSAYAMPA (T-AO 145) for Operation Free Seas in the Sea of Okhotsk. The three ships departed Yokosuka, Japan, on June 15 and operated in the sea until June 28. The Sea of Okhotsk was bordered on several sides by Soviet territory and contained operating areas of considerable importance to the Soviet Pacific Fleet. The American movement demonstrated the right to operate in international waters and allowed the ships to train in a region where they could expect close Soviet observation. Soviet Tu-16 Badger and Tu-95 Bear reconnaissance aircraft monitored the formation, and Soviet surface units also maintained contact. USS STEIN contributed anti-submarine and surface-surveillance capabilities to the group, while USNS HASSAYAMPA provided underway fuel support. The American ships returned to Yokosuka on June 28. USS STEIN subsequently completed the remaining stages of her 1978 deployment and returned to the United States.

Commander Ronald F. Walters relieved Commander Gillett on May 12, 1979. In June, USS STEIN visited Portland, Oregon, for the annual Rose Festival Fleet Week. The ship's presence formed part of the Navy's long-established participation in the festival and allowed the public to visit an active Pacific Fleet frigate.

Later in 1979, USS STEIN began another Western Pacific and Indian Ocean deployment. She operated as part of a task force centered on USS MIDWAY (CV 41). Other ships operating with the formation during the Indian Ocean phase included USS BAINBRIDGE (CGN 25), USS PARSONS (DDG 33), USNS NAVASOTA (T-AO 106) and USNS MISPILLION (T-AO 105). USS KNOX (FF 1052) and USS SAN JOSE (AFS 7) also supported the broader force during portions of the deployment. The force entered the Indian Ocean during October 1979. In early November, it visited Mombasa, Kenya. USS MIDWAY and USS BAINBRIDGE remained outside the harbor, while USS STEIN, USS SAN JOSE, USNS MISPILLION and USNS NAVASOTA moored inside. The call provided an opportunity for maintenance, replenishment and crew rest before the ships resumed operations at sea.

On November 4, 1979, Iranian students occupied the United States Embassy in Tehran and took American diplomats and other personnel hostage. The seizure followed the Iranian Revolution, which had overthrown the Shah and replaced the former American-aligned monarchy with the Islamic Republic. The crisis led the United States to increase its naval presence in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. USS MIDWAY and her escorts moved toward the northern Arabian Sea. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan beginning in late December 1979 further increased tension in the region. The United States viewed the intervention as a threat to the balance of power near the Persian Gulf and the maritime routes carrying Middle Eastern oil. The deployment consequently developed from a planned fleet cruise into an extended contingency presence near Iran and the approaches to the Gulf. USS STEIN remained deployed into 1980 before returning to San Diego. After her return, the frigate entered a period of leave, maintenance and local training.

Commander Harold J. Grosser Jr. relieved Commander Walters on June 19, 1981. During the remainder of 1981 and the opening part of 1982, USS STEIN operated principally from San Diego, carrying out anti-submarine training, helicopter operations, engineering exercises and preparations for another Western Pacific deployment.

During the 1982-1983 deployment, USS STEIN operated with other KNOX-class frigates in the western Pacific and southwestern Pacific. In late October 1982, she sailed toward Australia in company with USS KNOX, USS DAVIDSON (FF 1045) and USS FRANCIS HAMMOND (FF 1067). The group participated in Sandgroper '82 with Australian and New Zealand naval forces. The exercise provided training in coordinated anti-submarine warfare, communications, formation maneuvering and surface operations. It also reinforced the continuing defense relationship linking the United States, Australia and New Zealand during the Cold War. USS STEIN completed the deployment during 1983 and returned to San Diego.

Commander Benjamin J. Binford relieved Commander Grosser on September 27, 1983. USS STEIN was assigned to Battle Group Bravo, centered on USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63). Other principal ships in the organization included USS LONG BEACH (CGN 9), USS O'BRIEN (DD 975), USS BERKELEY, USS CHANDLER (DDG 996), USS WABASH (AOR 5) and USS MAUNA KEA (AE 22). The group conducted Readiness Exercise 83-7 from September 26 through October 10. The exercise tested the ships' ability to operate as an integrated formation and included air-defense, anti-submarine, surface-tracking, communications, replenishment and damage-control scenarios. From October 13 through October 16, units of the formation visited San Francisco for Fleet Week. USS STEIN then continued preparations for deployment.

USS STEIN departed San Diego with the USS KITTY HAWK battle group on January 13, 1984. Additional escorts working with the force during the deployment included USS LEWIS B. PULLER (FFG 23), USS DAVIDSON and USS HAROLD E. HOLT (FF 1074). From March 19 through March 21, 1984, the battle group participated in Team Spirit 84-1 with United States and South Korean forces in waters near the Korean Peninsula. Team Spirit was a major annual exercise intended to test the reinforcement and defense of South Korea. Soviet reconnaissance aircraft, ships and submarines closely monitored the American formation.

On March 21, the Soviet VICTOR I-class nuclear-powered attack submarine K-314 collided with USS KITTY HAWK after surfacing during the carrier's operations. Both vessels were damaged. USS KITTY HAWK remained able to proceed under her own power and later entered Subic Bay for repairs. USS STEIN remained part of the escort force during the incident and subsequent operations. After repairs and further Western Pacific operations, the battle group proceeded into the Indian Ocean and northern Arabian Sea. The ships remained near the maritime approaches to the Strait of Hormuz for more than two months during the Iran-Iraq War. The conflict had begun in September 1980 and continued to threaten regional stability and the export routes used by tankers carrying oil from the Persian Gulf. USS STEIN conducted anti-submarine screening, surveillance and escort duties while the carrier maintained flight operations. In early June 1984, the battle group was relieved by forces centered on USS AMERICA (CV 66). USS STEIN then began the homeward transit and returned to San Diego with the USS KITTY HAWK battle group on August 1.

Post-deployment leave, upkeep and local training occupied the remainder of 1984 and much of 1985. The frigate conducted exercises in the Southern California operating areas while restoring engineering, weapons and anti-submarine readiness. Commander Howard K. Kline relieved Commander Binford on December 14, 1985. USS STEIN trained through 1986 in preparation for another long-distance deployment. The crew completed engineering evaluations, anti-submarine exercises, helicopter qualifications, underway-replenishment training and carrier-group integration.

On January 3, 1987, USS STEIN departed San Diego with USS KITTY HAWK on a six-month world cruise. The battle group included USS HALSEY (CG 23), USS CALLAGHAN (DDG 994), USS VANDEGRIFT (FFG 48), USS BARBEY (FF 1088), USS MOUNT HOOD (AE 29), USS WILLAMETTE (AO 180) and USS MARS (AFS 1). The formation crossed the Pacific and staged through the western Pacific before proceeding into the Indian Ocean. USS STEIN operated as one of the group's anti-submarine escorts during an extended period in the northern Arabian Sea. Her sonar systems and embarked SH-2 helicopter supported the surveillance and protection of the carrier formation, while the ship also performed surface-watch, communications and general escort duties. The deployment occurred during the expanding Tanker War phase of the Iran-Iraq conflict. Both Iran and Iraq were attacking ships associated with their opponent's oil trade, increasing the risk to neutral merchant traffic and naval forces operating near the Persian Gulf. The USS KITTY HAWK group remained in the Indian Ocean for more than three months.

USS STEIN and the battle group subsequently entered the Red Sea and transited the Suez Canal on May 17, 1987. On the same day, an Iraqi aircraft fired two Exocet missiles at USS STARK (FFG 31) in the Persian Gulf. The missiles struck the frigate, killing 37 sailors and causing extensive damage. Although the USS KITTY HAWK group had already passed west of the immediate operating area, it was placed at increased readiness for possible contingency or retaliatory operations. The formation continued through the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic. USS KITTY HAWK proceeded to Philadelphia for a major Service Life Extension Program overhaul, while USS STEIN separated from the carrier's route and returned to San Diego in July 1987, completing her circumnavigation.

Commander Roger C. Adams relieved Commander Kline on January 9, 1988. On February 4, Southwest Marine in San Diego received a contract valued at $9,148,194 for the regular overhaul of USS STEIN. The work was scheduled for completion on October 28. The availability restored and updated the ship after years of repeated long-distance deployments. After completing the overhaul, USS STEIN carried out testing, sea trials and renewed training. The first part of 1989 was devoted to rebuilding operational qualifications and preparing for another Western Pacific deployment.

On August 3, 1989, USS STEIN was at Seattle for the annual Seafair celebration. The visit included public tours and ceremonial events. On September 9, the ship conducted a dependents' cruise for approximately 100 family members, giving them an opportunity to observe shipboard operations shortly before the deployment.

USS STEIN departed Pier 3 at San Diego on September 15, 1989 for the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The opening 41 days of the deployment were spent at sea. During this period, she participated in Pacific Exercise 89, a large fleet exercise involving approximately 50 ships. The forces assembled for Pacific Exercise 89 included carrier groups centered on USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) and USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70), together with USS NEW JERSEY (BB 62), USS LONG BEACH and USS ELLIOT (DD 967). The exercise tested carrier coordination, air defense, surface warfare, anti-submarine operations, communications and logistics over a broad area of the northern Pacific. The exercise took place during the closing phase of the Cold War. Relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were improving, but both navies continued to maintain forces and training procedures developed for high-intensity conflict. USS STEIN's role included anti-submarine surveillance and the protection of larger ships within the assembled formations.

After completing the prolonged opening period at sea, USS STEIN entered Chinhae, South Korea. Crew members were able to travel to nearby Pusan, and sailors participated in a community-relations project at a local orphanage. The visit also continued the Navy's regular operational relationship with South Korea during a period of continuing tension on the Korean Peninsula. USS STEIN next proceeded to Subic Bay. The ship required maintenance and repairs after the northern Pacific operations and rough weather encountered during the first portion of the deployment. Subic Bay provided the technical, supply and repair facilities needed before she continued westward. The frigate then visited Hong Kong, where she remained at anchor for approximately four days. Hong Kong was still administered by the United Kingdom and was a regular liberty and logistics port for ships of the Seventh Fleet. USS STEIN continued to Singapore and spent the Thanksgiving period there. A local host-family program gave some members of the crew an opportunity to visit Singaporean homes.

After leaving Singapore, USS STEIN entered the Indian Ocean. Following approximately 20 days of operations at sea, she called at Cochin, India. The port visit combined maintenance, supplies and crew rest with contact between members of the ship's company and personnel of the Indian Navy. Sailors also participated in community projects at a school, a church and a local assistance facility. USS STEIN proceeded to Phuket, Thailand, where she spent the Christmas period at anchor. Crew members participated in another community-relations project that included work at a school. The frigate then moved to Pattaya, Thailand, where the crew observed New Year's Eve and remained for approximately six days.

The ship returned to Subic Bay for a second maintenance and logistics period and then proceeded north. On January 25, 1990, while operating approximately 40 miles north of Luzon, USS STEIN joined USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CG 57), USS LOCKWOOD (FF 1064) and USNS NAVASOTA in responding to the sinking of the Chinese merchant ship HUAZHU. Helicopters and ships of the group rescued 19 members of the merchant ship's crew. USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN received the survivors and recovered five bodies.

USS STEIN subsequently visited Sasebo, Japan. Members of the crew were able to travel to Nagasaki. The frigate later proceeded to Yokosuka for additional maintenance, supplies and operations with United States naval forces based in Japan. Commander Michael J. Miller relieved Commander Adams on January 19, 1990. From February 6 through February 9, USS STEIN participated in Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise 90-1. The exercise tested coordinated sonar searches, helicopter employment, submarine tracking and communications among surface ships and supporting units. USS STEIN began her homeward transit across the Pacific and made a final stop at Pearl Harbor. After a port period of approximately 30 hours, she continued to California and returned to San Diego in early March 1990, completing a deployment of almost six months.

The frigate entered a post-deployment period of leave, maintenance and local training. On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait. The United Nations condemned the invasion and imposed economic sanctions, while the United States and its coalition partners deployed military forces to Saudi Arabia and surrounding waters under Operation Desert Shield. USS STEIN did not reach the Middle East during the main combat phase of the resulting Gulf War. During December 1990 and the opening weeks of 1991, however, the ship and the other units of Battle Group Bravo repeatedly prepared for possible deployment. Equipment and supplies were loaded, readiness was increased and crew leave was disrupted while the Navy evaluated the need for additional forces.

Operation Desert Storm began on January 17, 1991. The coalition ground offensive opened on February 24 and rapidly drove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. A ceasefire took effect on February 28. USS STEIN departed San Diego the following day, March 1, 1991, in heavy rain. Her deployment therefore took place after the principal combat operations and centered on postwar stabilization, continued enforcement of United Nations measures, multinational naval cooperation and the maintenance of American forces in the Persian Gulf. USS STEIN sailed as part of Battle Group Bravo, centered on USS NIMITZ (CVN 68). The principal surface ships included USS TEXAS (CGN 39), USS CHANCELLORSVILLE (CG 62), USS RENTZ (FFG 46), USS HAROLD E. HOLT and USS CAMDEN. Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three, Destroyer Squadron 21 and Carrier Air Wing Nine formed other major elements of the organization. The ships spent approximately two weeks operating off Southern California before beginning the trans-Pacific passage. The training included air-defense, anti-submarine, communications, replenishment and coordinated battle-group exercises intended to confirm readiness before the force entered the overseas operating area.

USS STEIN proceeded to Subic Bay, where she remained for approximately five days. The stop allowed the ship to receive fuel, supplies and maintenance before continuing toward the Indian Ocean. After leaving the Philippines, the battle group temporarily divided for separate port visits. USS STEIN and several of the smaller combatants proceeded to Penang, Malaysia. The frigate remained at Penang for approximately five days. During the visit, one of her emergency diesel generators suffered a casualty. The generator was important because it could provide electrical power if the normal ship's-service generators became unavailable.

USS STEIN passed through the Strait of Malacca and crossed the Indian Ocean. The battle group reached the Persian Gulf region during late April and relieved the force centered on USS RANGER (CV 61). Although large-scale combat had ended, coalition ships remained in the region to enforce United Nations sanctions, monitor Iraqi activity, support mine-clearance work and maintain the ability to respond if hostilities resumed. USS STEIN took part in multinational maneuvering and communications exercises with allied and partner navies. She assisted in coordinating an exercise involving British and Argentine naval forces, an unusual professional interaction less than nine years after the two countries had fought the Falklands War. The frigate also trained or operated with French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch forces. USS STEIN visited Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates for a logistics and maintenance period. Personnel from USS McKEE (AS 41) assisted with technical work, including repairs associated with the emergency diesel problem that had developed earlier in the deployment. Crew members were able to visit nearby Dubai.

USS STEIN also made two visits to Abu Dhabi. During the first visit, the ship's flight deck was used for a diplomatic reception attended by the United States ambassador, senior naval officers and invited guests. Such events supported American political and naval relations with the United Arab Emirates during the period immediately following the Gulf War. Another port call took USS STEIN to Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Dammam and the nearby port facilities had served as major logistics centers during the buildup for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. USS STEIN subsequently visited Manama, Bahrain, berthing at Mina Salman for approximately five days. Bahrain was the principal location for United States naval command and support activity in the Persian Gulf. The frigate's last port in the region was Muscat, Oman, where she berthed at Mina Qaboos for approximately five days. The crew observed July 4, 1991 while in Muscat.

After leaving Oman, USS STEIN began the homeward voyage. During parts of the return passage, she served as flagship for Commander Destroyer Squadron 21. She also conducted anti-submarine exercises with United States submarines, maintaining proficiency after the extended period of maritime-security and multinational duties in the Gulf. The return route included Pattaya, Thailand, followed by Hong Kong. At Hong Kong, USS STEIN moored at the Royal Navy facility at Tamar. The visit was the final foreign port call of the deployment. She then crossed the Pacific, stopped at Pearl Harbor and continued to California. USS STEIN arrived at San Diego on August 27, 1991, completing a deployment of almost six months.

Soon after her return, USS STEIN was directed to prepare for decommissioning as part of the substantial reduction in the United States fleet following the Cold War. She sailed to the naval ammunition facility at Indian Island, Washington, to offload ammunition and other hazardous material. During this final northern voyage, she also visited Victoria, British Columbia, before returning to San Diego. The crew progressively removed equipment, records, spare parts, ammunition and sensitive material. Machinery and other systems were prepared for inactive storage, while members of the ship's company were reassigned. The decision to retire USS STEIN reflected her age, the operating costs of a steam-powered, single-shaft frigate and the availability of newer guided-missile frigates and destroyers.

USS STEIN was decommissioned at Naval Station San Diego on March 19, 1992, with Commander Miller as her final commanding officer. She had completed 20 years and two months of commissioned service. Her nine major overseas deployments had taken her through the western and southern Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

The awards recorded for USS STEIN included the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, two awards of the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with one service star, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with one campaign star, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Kuwait Liberation Medal issued by Kuwait.

Following decommissioning, USS STEIN was placed in reserve and moved to the inactive-ship facilities at Bremerton, Washington. She was formally removed from the Naval Vessel Register on January 11, 1995. The United States sold the former frigate to Mexico on January 29, 1997 for approximately $7 million. The Mexican Navy took possession of the ship on August 16, 1997. She entered Mexican service on November 23, 1998 as ARM IGNACIO ALLENDE (E 50), named for Ignacio Allende, one of the principal leaders of the Mexican War of Independence. Her pennant number was changed to F 211 in 2001.

ARM IGNACIO ALLENDE was withdrawn from active service in 2016. The former frigate was subsequently laid up at Tuxpan, Veracruz, while plans for her final disposal were developed. Under an agreement signed on December 11, 2023, three retired Mexican frigates were donated for a project intended to create artificial reefs off the coast of Matamoros, Tamaulipas. The ships selected were ARM IGNACIO ALLENDE, ARM VICTORIA and ARM MINA. The project required the removal of pollutants, machinery, cables and other material before the hulls could be sunk in accordance with environmental requirements. On March 22, 2025, a fire broke out aboard ARM IGNACIO ALLENDE while dismantling work was in progress at Tuxpan. The fire was brought under control by naval and port emergency teams with assistance from tugboats. Two Mexican Navy personnel suffered burns and were taken to the naval hospital at Tuxpan. At the time of the fire, the former frigate was still intended for transfer to the artificial-reef project off Tamaulipas. No reliable public confirmation had established by July 29, 2026 that ARM IGNACIO ALLENDE had subsequently been moved to Matamoros or deliberately sunk.

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