Immediately after commissioning, Sharkey was sent to the rescue of SS Powhatan and was one of four ships standing by as the stricken vessel was taken under tow.

When the work was completed, she joined the Reserve Destroyers, Atlantic Fleet, at Charleston, South Carolina, on 5 October.

On 26 January, she embarked the President and Cabinet of Haiti for a short cruise, and then trained with the fleet in the Caribbean until 28 March.

She made reserve training cruises from Philadelphia between 14 April and 6 May; but, on the latter date, damaged a turbine and entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for repairs.

Sharkey returned to Guantanamo on 13 January 1926, and transited the Panama Canal on 4 February to participate in Fleet Problem VI off the west coast of Central America.

After exercises and reserve training cruises on the east coast, she entered the Norfolk Navy Yard on 22 July for overhaul.

Sharkey was struck from the Navy list on 22 October 1930 and sold for scrapping on 17 January 1931 to Boston Iron and Metal Company, Baltimore, Maryland.