Pocono departed Boston on 18 March 1946 for Key West, Florida, en route to Guantanamo Bay for shakedown.

Pocono decommissioned at Norfolk on 19 June 1949 and moved to Bayonne, New Jersey, where she entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.

On 31 October 1956, during the Suez Crisis, the Commander-in-Chief, Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, embarked in Pocono, and remained on board until 13 December.

In September 1957 Pocono served as flagship for a 38-ship amphibious task force in NATO exercise "Deepwater" off the coast of Turkey.

In early 1958 Pocono served as flagship for operation "Packard X", an Atlantic Fleet amphibious exercise at Onslow Beach, North Carolina.

Because of the Lebanon Crisis the regular six-month Mediterranean deployment was extended to nine months, with Pocono returning to Norfolk on 20 March 1959.

Pocono departed Norfolk on 21 May 1965 en route to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to aid in the peace-keeping operation there.