They first sailed to Puerto Rico where carried out its operational readiness inspection and in addition took half in the sinking of the USS Otter (DE-210) on 10 July 1970. After participating in PHIBLEX 2-71 and the squadron’s first Combat Readiness Assessment Exercise, the squadron despatched a detachment to Naval Air Station Sigonella in early August 1970. The planes recovered again to the Independence in late August and had been shortly turned and sent to Souda Bay, Crete to act aggressors for Exercise National Week VIII. The squadron, also known as the "Doodlebugs" and "Bumblebees," was part of Marine Aircraft Group 31, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and was based mostly out of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. During this deployment the squadron participated in six large scale, multinational workouts while offering Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (Trap) assist for NATO Operation Deny Flight and Operation Provide Promise within the Adriatic Sea. During this time contingency operations within the Persian Gulf necessitated splitting the squadron into three sections, working from the United States, the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. In August 1990 the squadron again found itself headed for the Persian Gulf region.

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