It trained in the southeastern United States, then was one of the last Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber squadrons to deploy to Italy as part of the Fifteenth Air Force 483d Bombardment Group.

It supported combat operations in Korea before the signing of the armistice, adding a Korean Presidential Unit Citation award to its honors.

[7] The squadron engaged in strategic bombing campaign against Germany, striking military, industrial and transport targets, including factories, oil refineries, marshalling yards, airfields, and troop concentrations in Italy, France.

[5] In June 1944, the squadron participated in a shuttle mission, departing Italy and landing in the Soviet Union, attacking targets en route and on the return flight.

On 18 July 1944 the squadron, along with the other elements of the 483d Group, bombed the objective, an airfield and installations at Memmingen, engaging numerous enemy aircraft in the target area despite a lack of cover from its planned fighter escort.

Between April 1953 and September 1954, the squadron aided the French Air Force in Indochina by training personnel and hauling supplies.

[5] In 1958, the 483d Group was inactivated as Far East Air Forces converted to the dual-deputy organizational model and the squadron was reassigned directly to the wing.

[2] It continued intratheater transport operations, also flying to locations in the Philippines, Thailand and Indochina, supporting United States civilian and military personnel assigned to the region.

As the United States increased its combat presence in Indochina in the early 1960s, made frequent flights to airfields in South Vietnam and to locations within the country, periodically deploying crews and aircraft there.

[2] The squadron was converted to provisional status in 2002 and assigned to Air Mobility Command (AMC) to activate and inactivate as needed.

[12][13] The squadron was active a second time at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, flying Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs with crews rotating from the four squadrons of the 62d Airlift Wing and of its reserve associate 446th Airlift Wing at McChord Air Force Base, Washington[14] as part of the Global War on Terrorism.