After four months of local operations, "Salem" sailed for Guantanamo Bay on 24 January 1953 for training. Returning to Boston on 27 February, she sailed for the Mediterranean on 17 April and again relieved "Newport News" as flagship. Her fourth deployment was marked by Exercise "Weldfest" and by emergency relief work after the 1953 Ionian earthquake which devastated the Ionian Islands. "Salem" was the first American ship to arrive on the scene, and provided relief supplies and assistance from 13 August until her own stocks ran low four days later. Relieved by "Des Moines" as flagship on 9 October, she returned to Boston on 24 October and entered the shipyard for overhaul.