Completing her shakedown in November, Serrano took three barges in tow at Port Hueneme and sailed for Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 17 December.

In early February, she moved on to the Palaus and, at mid-month, arrived in San Pedro Bay, Leyte, P.I., with an ARD and a YF in tow.

In early December, she interrupted that work to support the mine detection force then clearing the waters of Ise Wan.

Serrano remained in the Far East, providing tug, rescue, salvage, and fire fighting services in Japanese, Chinese, Philippine, and Okinawan waters, into the summer of 1946.

In August, she headed east and, after delivering tows to Guam and Pearl Harbor, reached California in early October.

In 1951, Serrano was towed to San Diego where she remained until ordered activated and converted for hydrographic survey and oceanographic research work in 1960.

With few interruptions, she continued surveys and collected data from Nansen casts, core and bottom samplings, and bath thermo-graphic observations in the gulf into late March 1961.

In early September, the AGS received visitors in connection with the 10th Pacific Science Congress; and, in October, she and Maury again sailed west.

During November and December, she conducted oceanographic and hydrographic operations in the Gulf of Siam, the Strait of Malacca, and the Andaman Sea.

Typhoon activity delayed Serrano's arrival at Bangkok until 30 October and slowed her initial survey work of the season.

In January 1963, she readied her drafting room and laboratory for oceanographic work to be conducted in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal during February and March.

At the end of March 1964, she headed east again and, after conducting shoal investigations near Midway and Johnston Islands, arrived back at Pearl Harbor on 27 April.

In early December, she returned to Pearl Harbor; and, two months later, in February 1965, she departed for the Panama Canal and the northern coast of Colombia.

From Vietnam, Serrano proceeded to Subic Bay and Hong Kong, then headed home, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 8 June.

She remained in Hawaii for three months and, in mid-September, proceeded to the Puget Sound area where she conducted survey operations until mid-October.

On 23 February, the work was briefly interrupted as her rescue and assistance party successfully fought an engine room fire on the SS Cyrenian.

During March, she operated out of the Song Cua Dai Junk Base where her medical personnel provided care for the residents of the area.