Jenkins was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey on 27 November 1941 and launched on 21 June 1942; sponsored by Mrs Marion Parker Embry.

After a training period during the summer of 1942, Jenkins sailed from Casco Bay, Maine on 24 October as an escort to a convoy headed for the North African campaign.

She screened capital ships during naval gunfire support missions, as the attack force arrived off Casablanca on 8 November.

Arriving at Nouméa, New Caledonia on 4 January 1943, she began escort and patrol duty among the Solomon Islands and in the Coral Sea.

Assigned to Rear Admiral Walden Lee "Pug" Ainsworth's Task Group 36.1, Jenkins departed Tulagi on 5 July and steamed up The Slot to intercept Japanese destroyer and transport force-carrying reinforcements to Kolombangara.

She joined the screen of Rear Admiral Arthur W. Radford's Northern Carrier Group which provided air support over Makin and Tarawa during the landings 15 November.

During these raids the aircraft carrier USS Lexington was hit by a torpedo, and Jenkins was assigned to escort her back to Pearl Harbor arriving 9 December.

Jenkins departed Hawaii 25 January 1944 with a tanker unit to fuel fast carriers and ships covering the Marshall Islands campaign.

The landings took place on 22 April and their successful conclusion gave Allied Pacific forces another base from which to launch attacks on remaining enemy-held islands.

She then covered and provided gunfire support for the invasions of Noemfoor, Sansapor, and Morotai, as well as patrolling and escorting reinforcements throughout the summer.