In September 1943, it moved to the Southwest Pacific Theater, engaging in combat mapping missions until V-J Day, moving forward with Allied forces through New Guinea, the Philippine Islands and the Ryuku Islands, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation and a Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation.

It trained in reconnaissance missions, deploying to MacDill Air Force Base during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The mission of the 20th is to provide prompt, precise intelligence enabling warfighters to safely engage and achieve global objectives.

[2] In these early years, the unit worked under several different names and was stationed in the Pacific Theater as an element of Fifth Air Force.

The squadron transferred to operational missions in 1959 with reassignment to the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and re-equipped with McDonnell RF-101 Voodoos.

The squadron deployed to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam, 1963–1965 flying tactical reconnaissance in Southeast Asia.