His next assignment took him to Coast Guard Headquarters where he was ordnance officer for three years. After being assigned to the Destroyer Force in March 1928 during the Rum Patrol era, he reported aboard USCGD "McCall" as commanding officer but was reassigned immediately the assume command of USCGD "Wilkes". During his command of "Wilkes", the ship attained the highest score during annual target practice in the Destroyer Force for 1928-29. Starting in September 1930 he was assigned additional duty as ordnance officer for the Destroyer Force and later assumed additional duties as athletic officer and service store officer for the Destroyer Force. During this tour of duty, Farley was promoted to commander. In January 1933, Farley was placed in command of USCGC "Pontchartrain" homeported at Norfolk, Virginia. In July 1934 he assumed command of USCGC "Modoc" stationed out of Wilmington, North Carolina. "Modoc" also served with the International Ice Patrol during part of each year where she and another cutter alternated on 15-day patrols off the Grand Banks, using Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Boston, Massachusetts as their patrol bases.