 She was launched on 23 January 1953, sponsored by Mrs. Wilbur G. Dees, and commissioned on 13 August 1953, Lieutenant Commander I. W. Mathews in command.Following shakedown in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, "LST-1162" operated out of the United States Atlantic Fleet's Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach, Virginia, for the remainder of 1953, conducting local operations out of Little Creek and off the coast of Florida.In 1954, "LST-1162" participated in Atlantic Fleet amphibious maneuvers "NprAmEx" and "LantFlex" and conducted operations with the Operational Development Force out of Key West, Florida, testing antisubmarine warfare gear.