On 1 May 1919 she got underway from New York to serve on station off Trepassey Harbor, Newfoundland, during the historic first aerial crossing of the Atlantic, a feat accomplished by a Navy seaplane.

She cruised to Hawaii as escort for New York with the Secretary of the Navy embarked in August, then steamed to Seattle for a Fleet Review in September.

She made a cruise to South America from 7 January to 11 March 1921, visiting Valparaíso, Chile; Costa Rica; and various ports in Mexico.

Recommissioned 15 May 1930, Dent acted as plane guard for carrier operations, trained reservists, and sailed for a fleet problem in the Caribbean and a visit to the United States East Coast from April to November 1934.

She operated from this base and Espiritu Santo, landing troops in the assaults on New Georgia, Rendova, Vella Lavella, and Cape Torokina, Bougainville.

Dent patrolled off Saipan and Tinian until early July when she escorted transports to Eniwetok and sailed for overhaul at San Diego, arriving 3 August.

From 8 November 1944 until the end of the war, Dent served with the Amphibious Training Force, Pacific Fleet, at San Diego.