Pre-World War I Following trials off the east coast,
Terry joined the
Atlantic Fleet Torpedo Flotilla in winter operations in Cuban waters. She conducted both torpedo exercises with the flotilla and general maneuvers with the Fleet as a whole. In 1911
Terry made the first airplane rescue at sea, saving the life of James McCurdy 10 miles from Havana, Cuba. The routine of winter maneuvers in the
Caribbean alternated with spring and summer operations along the
New England coast continued until November 1913, when she arrived at
Charleston, South Carolina for overhaul. Soon after entering
Charleston Navy Yard,
Terry was placed in reserve. Though still in reserve after her overhaul was completed,
Terry continued to be active. During 1914, she patrolled the coast of Florida, and by February 1915, she was back in Cuban waters for winter maneuvers. That summer,
Terry steamed as far north as
Newport, Rhode Island to conduct another round of torpedo exercises. Upon completion of the mission, she returned to her base at Charleston. By 1 January 1916, the torpedo boat destroyer was operating with a reduced complement destroyer division. On the 31st, she cruised with units of the Atlantic Fleet to
Key West, Florida. In May, she steamed to
Santo Domingo. On 10 June, while maneuvering in the inner harbor at
Puerto Plata, she struck a reef and settled until the greater part of the main deck was submerged. On the 13th, under the supervision of the commanding officer of ,
Terrys officers and men joined the staff of a wrecking company in salvage operations. The warship was refloated on 26 June, temporarily repaired by 7 July, and returned to Charleston Navy Yard on 15 July.
World War I America's entry into World War I saw
Terry undergoing extensive repairs at Charleston. Upon completion, she began patrolling under Lieutenant
John F. Shafroth Jr. along the Atlantic coast and escorting merchantmen bound for Europe. In January 1918,
Terry put to sea for operations with the destroyer force based at
Queenstown, Ireland. There, she escorted convoys through the
submarine-infested waters surrounding the
British Isles. Her tour of duty at Queenstown was a relatively peaceful, though rigorous, one. While she never sighted a German
U-boat nor engaged in combat operations, on one voyage she escorted a convoy which lost one ship to a submarine. On another occasion, 19 March 1918, she assisted with casualties after that destroyer was damaged by an accidental
depth charge explosion. ==United States Coast Guard==