[1] The ship was assigned to foreign service and, after fitting out, departed Philadelphia 20 August 1920 for Newport, Rhode Island, where she took on torpedoes and fuel, and on the 28th got underway for the Mediterranean area.

Fox cruised in the eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea until July 1922, visiting various ports of Turkey, Greece, Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, Romania, Russia and Egypt.

At a time of disturbed conditions throughout the Near East and southern Russia she rendered aid to American commercial men, relief and Red Cross workers, and Food Administration officials; transported mail, dispatches, and passengers; served as station ship at various ports; and assisted in the evacuation of refugees from Crimea.

Naval Detachment in Turkish waters until 18 July 1923, when she sailed for the United States via Naples and Gibraltar, arriving New York 11 August.

Departing Philadelphia 29 June, Fox proceeded to Hampton Roads and on 2 July was underway with Division 1 for the West Coast of the United States, via the Panama Canal, arriving San Diego, California on the 22d.

Arriving Balboa, Canal Zone, 25 August she performed inshore patrol duty from this port until sailing for San Francisco, California, 25 October.

[1] On 25 May 1943, Fox departed Seattle for extended duty as patrol and escort vessel among the ports of Alaska, operating under orders of Commander, Northwest Sea Frontier until 25 March 1944.

[1] On 15 April, the ship departed Seattle for San Diego, where she joined Western Sea Frontier Forces, Southern California Sector.

She operated in the San Diego area until September, conducting antisubmarine exercises, training men from the sound school, transporting passengers, performing escort duty, and cruising for the purpose of making moving pictures.