"Wallace L. Lind" was declared ready for sea on 25 August 1962. On 7 September, she arrived at Guantanamo for refresher training. After successfully completing the final operational readiness inspection on 17 October, the destroyer departed Guantanamo for Culebra Island, thence to Key West. However, while en route to Florida, the Cuban Missile Crisis intervened; and, on 21 October, the ship returned to Guantanamo. When the immediate crisis had ended, "Lind" returned to Norfolk on 28 November and commenced a needed in-port period of upkeep and preparation for the final outfitting with DASH.