Established in 1940 as a long-range reconnaissance squadron, equipped with a mixture of B-17C/D Flying Fortresses and B-18 Bolos. Assigned to the GHQAF Northeast Air District at Langley Field, Virginia Reassigned to Westover Field, Massachusetts in the spring of 1941. Flew antisubmarine patrols over the Northeast coastline after the Pearl Harbor attack; reassigned to II Bomber Command and became a B-17 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Geiger Field, Washington in January 1942, and was redesignated as a heavy bombardment squadron in April. Reassigned to Davis-Monthan Field in May 1942 and continued its mission as an OTU in May 1942, continuing this assignment, later being assigned to the Desert Training Center in Southern California in late 1942, remaining as a training squadron at the DTC