After a brief shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico followed by a short availability, the store ship departed Galveston on 31 January and steamed to Mobile, Alabama, to receive her initial load.

Following overhaul, Arequipa returned to the United States and picked up provisions in San Francisco, California, for delivery to ports throughout the Pacific Islands, Japan, and China.

Arequipa underwent a pre-inactivation overhaul at Pearl Harbor from November 1954 to June 1955 and then steamed to San Diego, California, to join the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

The Arequipa was toured by a former crewman, Don King USN (Ret), in San Diego prior to being towed offshore and scuttled to become an artificial reef.

Her crew was eligible for the following medals: This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.