Mars continued through the next three years to provide logistic support to the far-ranging 7th Fleet at sea, especially off Vietnam, while revisiting the South Pacific ports of Hong Kong; Sasebo, Japan; and Subic Bay, Philippines.

Typical of the combat storeship's supply activities was a night vertical replenishment of USS Canberra while the heavy cruiser was fighting off Vietnam, her 8 in (200 mm) guns on the engaged side fired in support of troops ashore.

She underwent extensive overhaul from late August 1971-April 1972 in Richmond, California, receiving naval distillate fuel burning boilers, upgraded electronics, etc.

From April 1973 to the end of 1974, Mars continued replenishing the ships of the western Pacific and made two trips to the Indian Ocean to support the U.S. Navy patrolling the Persian Gulf area.

One of her first assignments was to send a working party ashore on the island of Masirah off the coast of Oman to clear the area of the debris left at the staging point for the attempted rescue of the embassy hostages in Tehran, Iran.

In 1987, Mars was to make a circumnavigation voyage from her homeport in Oakland, CA however upon reaching the Philippines, orders were changed to remain in the North Arabian Sea to replenish Carrier Task Force ships after Iran publicized the deployment of Silkworm Missiles at the entrance to the Persian Gulf.

Mars continued to make WestPac and Indian Ocean deployments from Naval Supply Center, Oakland then from its forward-deployed home of Sasebo Japan until its transfer to the Military Sealift Command in 1993.