After duty as a stand-by tug in Bermuda, Papago towed YD–171, the world's largest self-propelled Floating crane at the time, from Bremerhaven, Germany to Cristóbal, Colón, in the Panama Canal Zone, from 14 August to 20 September 1946.

Papago did participate in refresher training and towed gunnery targets in the Guantanamo Bay area from 11 March to 16 July 1957.

In early 1963, she provided services for Operation Springboard in the Caribbean Sea and spent much of the remainder of 1963 and 1964 in the Guantanamo Bay and Virginia Capes areas.

While serving as a rescue, salvage, and towing ship for the U.S. Sixth Fleet in 1967, Papago provided escort and communication support to the stricken USS Liberty (AGTR-5) which had been attacked by Israeli forces during the Six-Day War.

Starting 28 June 1985, Papago participated in anti-drug patrols in the Caribbean Sea as part of Joint Task Force 4 (JTF-4).

[4] They were intended for a new trans-Lake Superior freight car barge service between Ontonagon and Thunder Bay, Ontario,[5] though it has been suggested that the company sought the tug's four General Motors engines (24 in all) to use in their locomotives.