USS Excel arrived at Long Beach, California, her home port, 4 June 1955, and began operating along the west coast in training and exercises.

In 1956, and again in 1959, she served in the Far East with the U.S. 7th Fleet, visiting Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan, and exercising with ships of friendly navies.

USS Excel was sent to the reserve fleet in the 1970s and was sent to its new home port, Treasure Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay.

Rear Admiral Albert T. Church III served as captain of USS Excel during the late 1970s when he was a lieutenant commander.

USS Excel was decommissioned, 30 September 1992; struck from the Naval Register, 28 March 1994; laid up in the Reserve Fleet; sold for scrapping to Crowley Marine, January 2000.