[2] It performed aerial mapping primarily over the northeastern United States prior to the Pearl Harbor Attack, using obsolescent cargo and Martin B-10 bombers.

After the squadron was relieved from assignment in Alaska and returned to the Continental United States it deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations across the South Atlantic Transport Route to North Africa in early 1944.

It performed aerial surveys and mapping over Sicily; Italy and along the North African Coast and Middle East with B-24s and some Boeing B-17Fs converted to F-9 reconnaissance configuration over non-combat areas.

It then deployed to India and China; performing unarmed long-range mapping of remote areas of the China-Burma-India Theater over combat areas in support of ground forces and strategic target identification over Indochina and the Malay Peninsula for follow-up raids by XX Bomber Command operating from India.

It also trained visiting aircrews from other Pacific Air Forces units in weapons employment and tactics.

This included, for the first time, a need to laterally integrate diverse and disparate space and ground systems into combined arms teams.