USS Stoddert, a 1190-ton Clemson class destroyer built at San Francisco, California, was commissioned in late June 1920. She primarily spent the next decade in operations along the West Coast, but made occasional deployments to more distant waters to participate in fleet maneuvers and other activities. Among these were cruises to the Atlantic and Caribbean, Chile, Panama and Hawaii. In mid-1925 Stoddert accompanied the Battle Fleet in its trans-Pacific voyage to New Zealand and Australia. On 8 September 1923, she was part of the formation of destroyers that lost seven of their number in the Honda Point Disaster, but was not herself damaged.

Decommissioned in May 1930, Stoddert was subsequently converted to a radio-controlled target ship for use in realistic high-speed combat exercises. While this shipyard work was in progress in November 1930, her name was changed to Light Target Number 1 and her hull number to IX-35. She was recommissioned in April 1931 and soon received her old name back. In June her hull number was again changed to AG-18, and in April 1932 Stoddert was again redesignated DD-302. During 1931-32, she conducted tests with her new equipment and operated with Mobile Target Division One, based at San Diego, California, to support aircraft dive bombing and torpedo training as well as surface ship gunnery practice. Stoddert was decommissioned for the last time in January 1933. She was sold for scrapping in August 1935.

USS Stoddert was named in honor of Benjamin Stoddert (1751-1813), who served as the Nation's first Secretary of the Navy in 1798-1801.