It saw combat with the 502d Bombardment Group in the closing months of World War II, flying from Northwest Field, Guam and earning a Distinguished Unit Citation.

The squadron moved to Wilbur Wright Field, Ohio in August apparently serving as a flying training unit with Standard SJ-1, Curtiss JN-4, and possibly Dayton-Wright DH-4 aircraft.

[citation needed] Although it retained its Dolphins until 1939, the squadron began to receive medium bomber Martin B-10s in 1936.

[1][4] From British Guiana, the squadron operated as an element of the Trinidad Base Command at Atkinson Field.

[citation needed][b] The attachment to the 9th Bombardment Group became an assignment on 25 February 1942,[1] and, by mid-February, following an accident to one of its B-18s and severe maintenance problems with the other aircraft, the squadron could count only one B-18A as airworthy and ready for action.

[1] The squadron continued to fly antisubmarine patrols in the Caribbean until October 1942, when it returned to the United States.

[5] However, the Army Air Forces (AAF) was finding that standard military units like the 430th, whose manning was based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving not well adapted to the training mission.

[6] The 9th Group and its components moved on paper to Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas on 28 March 1944, and its mission with AAFSAT was assumed by the 906th AAF Base Unit (Bombardment, Heavy) and the 907th AAF Base Unit (Bombardment, Medium and Light).

[1][7] A few weeks later, on 1 June 1944, the squadron was activated once again at Davis-Monthan Field as a component of the newly organized 502d Bombardment Group.

Five days later, the squadron moved to Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas to begin training with the B-29.

The squadron trained at Dalhart and at Grand Island Army Air Field, Nebraska until 7 April 1945, when it departed for the Pacific.

It was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for August 1945 attacks on the coal liquefaction plant at Ube, a tank farm at Amagasaki and the Nippon Oil refinery at Tsuchizaki.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency