On January 3, 1972, FIRM departed for Independent Ship Exercises in the Southern California operating areas. On the weekend of January 20, she participated with reserve minesweepers in a local minesweeping exercise.

During the month of February, FIRM was evaluated in mine countermeasures refresher training, receiving a grade of 93.

On March 6, the ship departed Long Beach for Monterey, Cali­fornia with the ships of Mine Division 33 to participate in a minesweeping exercise with Mine Division 34 from San Francisco. After completion of the exercise, the ships continued on to San Francisco for a two-day visit, returning to Long Beach on March 16.

During the first week of April FIRM operated independently off Southern California. On April 24, she departed for COMPTUEX lOA-72 off San Diego and Camp Pendleton. In this exercise, the ships participated with helicopter minesweepers for the first time on the Pacific coast.

On June 3 the Philippine Navy crews assigned to USS FIRM and USS ENERGY for transfer arrived in Long Beach for four week’s training before taking possession. During this period, FIRM’s crew trained the allied crew in ship operation, minehunting and minesweeping.

On July 5, USS FIRM was decommissioned and trans­ferred to the Philippine Navy. Lieutenant Commander LINTAG, P.N. assumed command and renamed the ship the RPS DAVAO DEL SUR, which is a province in the Philippine Islands. R.P.S. DAVAO DEL SUR departed Long Beach on July 17, 1972 for her new home in the Philippines.