Scindia then headed east for the California coast and, after reaching San Francisco Bay early in the spring of 1899, was surveyed at the Mare Island Navy Yard and decommissioned there on 27 May for repairs to her boilers and machinery.

Recommissioned on 23 December 1899, the collier got underway on 18 January 1900 and headed westward across the Pacific and proceeded via Guam to the newly acquired Philippine Islands laden with coal for the ships of the Asiatic Fleet.

Reactivated on 20 January 1907, Ajax again served along the east coast until departing Hampton Roads in December of that year to support the cruise of the Great White Fleet around the world to demonstrate the good will of the United States and to make known to any potential enemy the power of the U.S. Navy.

In December 1912, she took on a cargo of coal at Hampton Roads and loaded the submarines B-2 and B-3 on her decks before sailing via the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, and the Indian Ocean to the Philippine Islands.

She arrived in Manila Bay on 30 April 1913, and—after launching her two submarines—began shuttling coal to American warships at ports in such placed as Guam, the Philippines, China, Japan, and even Burma.

After resuming her role as receiving ship at Cavite in September 1923, Ajax became the tender for the seaplanes of the Asiatic Fleet aircraft squadrons in February 1924.

Relieved of all duty in June 1925 after the arrival of USS Jason in the Philippines, she was decommissioned on 8 July 1925 and her name was simultaneously stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.