It served as a provisional unit in Southwest Asia as the 363rd Expeditionary Operations Group, flying a variety of fighter aircraft (F-16, A-10, F-15 and others) from 1998 to 2003.

Its original fighter squadrons (380th, 381st and 382nd) trained with Bell P-39 Airacobras at Hamilton and other airfields in California and served as part of the air defense force.

At RAF Keevil, the group was re-equipped with North American P-51 Mustang in January 1944 and entered combat in February.

In the two weeks following D-Day, the 363rd experienced the most fruitful period of its service in the European Theater of Operations when patrols over France brought it actions with a total of 19 confirmed victories.

The group flew photographic missions to support both air and ground operations; directed fighter-bombers to railway, highway, and waterway traffic, bridges, gun positions, troop concentrations, and other opportune targets; adjusted artillery fire; and took photographs to assess results of Allied bombardment operations.

It received two Belgian citations for reconnaissance activities, including the group's support of the assault on the Siegfried Line and its participation in the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945).

The 363rd assisted Ninth Army's drive across the Rhine and deep into Germany during the period from February 1945 to V-E Day, eventually being stationed at Wiesbaden, Germany (Y-80) at the end of hostilities in May The 363rd returned to the United States in December 1945 and was inactivated on 11 December 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

Some aircraft were also modified for electronic reconnaissance with the installation of radar and signal intelligence gathering equipment.

Due to the pressing needs of the Far East Air Forces in Japan the 162nd Squadron, flying RB-26s, and the photo-processing 363rd Reconnaissance Technical Squadron moved from Langley to Itazuke Air Base Japan for Korean War service and began operations in August 1950 as part of the 543rd Tactical Support Group.

It had many components in common with the F-84F, but differed in having the jet engine fed by a pair of wing root air intakes, the nose being taken up by a bank of cameras.

Later examples had the tail turret removed and replaced by additional ECM equipment installed in an extended tailcone.

In January 1953, the USAF asked McDonnell Aircraft to develop an unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the F-101 Voodoo as a possible replacement for the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash.

In addition, two high-altitude cameras were mounted behind the cockpit in place of the ammunition boxes of the fighter variant.

With Homestead unusable for an extended period after the hurricane, on 1 October 1992 the squadron was permanently assigned to the group.

As a result of the end of the Cold War, the Air Force began a series of changes, inactivating and redesignating units large and small.

The group was inactivated after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, when virtually all U.S. combat units left Saudi Arabia.