Stormes was fitted out at Seattle and departed there on 14 February for the San Diego Bay area where she held her shakedown training.

Dock trials were held on the morning of 22 April; and, that afternoon, the destroyer put to sea, en route to Hawaii.

Stormes arrived at Pearl Harbor on 30 April and sailed the next day as escort for the cruiser Louisville en route to Okinawa, via Guam.

The ship left drydock on 13 August and was sufficiently seaworthy for the long trip back to the United States, even though only her port shaft was in commission.

[2] Stormes stood out of Buckner Bay on 17 August and steamed, via Saipan, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor, to San Francisco.

The destroyer held refresher training in the San Diego area and, in January 1946, sailed for the east coast.

She arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on 14 January, and, before continuing to Norfolk, Virginia acted as a plane guard for aircraft carriers holding shakedown operations in the area.

Stormes arrived at Norfolk on 1 February and spent the remainder of the month preparing for Operation "Frostbite" which was to take place in March.

USS Midway, a tanker, Stormes, and two other destroyers, moved into an area between Greenland, Labrador, and Hudson Strait in March to test carrier operations in sub-zero temperatures.

[2] Stormes operated with Task Force 77, shelling enemy lines, screening large fleet units, rescuing downed pilots, and performing antisubmarine duties until January 1952 when she returned to Norfolk.

While on protection detail in Wonsan Harbor as support for the Marine observation team on a small island, Stormes was involved in the rescue operation of a B-29 bomber that had been shot down while returning from a mission.

In February 1954, the destroyer embarked on a world cruise which took her to Naples, Suez, Port Said, Aden, Colombo, Singapore, Yokosuka, Sasebo, Midway, and Pearl Harbor.

The destroyer participated in a NATO exercise in early September and then continued local operations until February 1956 when she entered the Norfolk Navy Yard.

From then to November, the ship participated in local exercises to maintain her state of readiness in anticipation of an overseas tour.

On 7 November, Stormes sailed with Destroyer Division 261 and arrived at Naples, Italy, a month later where she was attached to the 6th Fleet.

On 24 January, she sailed for Guantanamo Bay where she held refresher training, gunnery practice, and participated in group exercises.

Stormes continued operating with Task Group Alfa until May 1965 when she was ordered to patrol the coastal waters of the Dominican Republic during the revolution there.

She sailed to South America in July 1968 to hold antisubmarine warfare operations as part of UNITAS IX and to visit ports in Puerto Rico, Brazil, and St. Lucia.

When Stormes returned to Norfolk from her last east coast port call on 18 June, she began preparing for inactivation.