Following his tour of duty in South America, Kauffman was assigned to his World War I battleship USS Texas, and assumed duty as Navigator under Captain Julius C. Townsend. He took part in the visit of the Panama Canal and was promoted to capacity of ship's executive officer in April 1931. Kauffman then took part in the patrol cruises with the Pacific Fleet and was ordered to the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island in June 1933.
