Shortly thereafter, on 14 February, the steamship Pearson struck Brownson while she was loading ammunition at Gravesend Bay, Long Island, N.Y., in preparation for shakedown training.

Fortunately, the collision only resulted in superficial damage and the destroyer proceeded on her shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after undergoing a brief inspection.

On the morning of 3 May 1943, while steaming to Casablanca, Brownson received orders from her screen commander to assist in the search for the two-man crew of a Vought OS2N-1 Kingfisher (BuNo 01507) whose aircraft had capsized while attempting to land astern of the battleship Texas (BB-35).

Lt. Harry L. Champlain, D-V(G), stepped outboard of the messenger just before the snatch block cleared and a heavy strain in the line snapped it forward and up over the towing bit, catching the officer behind the knees and knocking him overboard on the port side.

Brownson and Merrimack each threw two life buoys into the water and contacted Thatcher via low frequency voice radio (TBS) to request assistance with a search and rescue operation.

At 2100, after transiting the Strait of Gibraltar and coming to within three miles of the Point Europa Light, Brownson and Guest (DD-472) were detached from Convoy II, came about, and got underway for Casablanca, arriving the following morning.

Brownson proceeded on to Gravesend Bay to offload ammunition and then transited to the New York Navy Yard that afternoon and entered Dry Dock No.

She participated in various training operations locally with Destroyer Divisions (DesDivs) 47 and 48 until 11 June when she and Thatcher got underway for Delaware Bay to rendezvous with the small aircraft carrier Independence (CV-22).

She weighed anchor in the morning hours of 21 June, and joined Task Group (TG) 52.1, consisting of Independence, Mobile (CL-63), Spence (DD-512), Thatcher, Fullam (DD-474), and Schroeder (DD-501).

The convoy formed into three columns and got underway that evening en route to an assigned ocean rendezvous point located south of Anchorage, Territory of Alaska, and west of British Columbia, Canada.

On 18 July 1943, Phelps (DD-360), Dale (DD-353), Dewey (DD-349) and Hull (DD-350) relieved Brownson, Bush, Mullany, and Ammen of screening duties and the ships were then detached from Convoy No.

Brownson departed San Francisco the following morning and got underway to escort the transport ship U.S. Grant (AP-29) to Adak, Aleutian Islands, Territory of Alaska.

On 13 August 1943, Brownson reported to TG 16.3 and joined company with the ships of Task Unit (TU) 16.4.3, made up of battleships Tennessee (BB-43) and Pennsylvania (BB-38), destroyers Bache (DD-470) and Ammen, and light cruiser Santa Fe (CL-60).

During the early morning hours of 15 August 1943, Brownson and Santa Fe left the formation and proceeded independently to assume their designated fire support stations for the scheduled shore bombardment on Kiska Island.

Upon conclusion of the second bombardment in the early afternoon, both ships transited to a designated retirement area located approximately 20,000 yards southeast of Gertrude Cove.

While moored at Adak on 18 August 1943, Brownson embarked Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy, Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt, Commanding General, Western Defense Command and Fourth Army, Maj. Gen. George R. Pearkes, Canadian Army, and Col. William P. Scobey, General Staff Corps, Executive Officer to Assistant Secretary of War.

That evening, following the conference, she embarked Assistant Secretary of War McCloy and his party, along with 18 officers and 5 enlisted men from the U.S. Navy, Army, and Marine Corps, and got underway for Adak, arriving the following day (20 August).

Brownson and Mullany reached Kuluk Bay, Adak, on 15 November, but adverse weather forced them to put to sea to ride out the storm.