Wilkes earned nine bronze service stars: two on her European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon and seven on her Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon as follows:

1 Star	NORTH AFRICAN OCCUPATION Algeria-Morocco landings: 8–11 November 1942 Action off Casablanca: 8 November 1942.
1 Star	SICILIAN OCCUPATION 9 July–15 July 1943.
1 Star	BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO OPERATION Admiralty Island landings: 3–11 March 1944. Duty in connection with motor torpedo boats: 11–24 March 1944.
1 Star	HOLLANDIA OPERATION Aitape-Humbolt Bay-Tanahmerah Bay: 21–27 April 1944.
1 Star	WESTERN NEW GUINEA OPERATIONS Toem-Wakde-Sarmi area operation: 17–24 May 1944. Biak Island operation: 27 May–20 June 1944. Noemfoor Island operation: 2–10 July 1944. Cape Sansapor operation: 31 July–12 August 1944.
1 Star	WESTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS Raids on Volcano-Bonin Islands and Yap Island: 31 August–8 September 1944. Capture and occupation of South Palau Islands: 6 September–14 October 1944. Assaults on the Philippine Islands: 9–24 September 1944.
1 Star	LEYTE OPERATION Third Fleet supporting operations, Okinawa attack: 10 October 1944. Northern Luzon and Formosa attacks: 11–14 October 1944. Luzon attacks: 15–19 October 1944. Battle of Surigao Strait: 24–26 October 1944.
1 Star	OKINAWA OPERATION Assault and occupation of Okinawa: 1 May–23 June 1945.
1 Star	THIRD FLEET OPERATIONS AGAINST JAPAN 11 July–15 August 1945.

Navigation