Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron flew air defense patrols off the southern Pacific coast.

It conducted the advanced phase of undergraduate pilot training and basic procedures and techniques of fighter employment since then except for a brief period when it was inactive in 1992–1993.

Its mission is to develop the ability, proficiency, confidence, discipline, judgment, situational awareness and airmanship of future fighter wingmen.

After the Pearl Harbor Attack the squadron deployed to San Diego Municipal Airport where it flew air defense patrols for a week before returning to March Field later in the month.

[5] In August 1942 the squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operations and flew escort missions for Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers as part of VIII Fighter Command until November.

[7] The 49th was sent to North Africa in late 1942 as part of the Operation Torch invasion forces, taking up station in Algeria.

[7] Following the German defeat and withdrawal from North Africa the squadron flew dive bombing attacks during the assault on Pantelleria.

The squadron received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions on 2 April 1944 when it beat off attacks by enemy fighter aircraft, enabling the bombers it covered to strike a ball-bearing factory in Austria.

It deployed to Corsica in August 1944 to support Allied Forces in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France.

The unit continued to fly long range missions to strafe and dive bomb targets in an arc from France to the Balkan Peninsula until the surrender of Germany in May 1945.

[9] The 37th's mission was daylight and fair weather defense of northeast United States[10] from New York City north to the Maine/New Brunswick border, shared with 52d Fighter Group (All-Weather) at Mitchel Air Force Base, New York which flew North American F-82 Twin Mustangs for night and inclement weather operations.

In March 1954, however the squadron converted to Mighty Mouse rocket armed and airborne intercept radar equipped F-86D Sabres, giving it an all weather capability.

[11] In November 1955, the squadron and its F-86Ds moved to Hanscom Field near Boston where it was reassigned to the 4707th Air Defense Wing.

F-106s 59-0062 and 59-0136 were the last two Delta Darts in active-duty USAF service, being sent to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona on 9 July 1987.