The unit was reconstituted as the 24th Squadron (Pursuit) at Mitchel Field, New York, and assigned to the 6th Composite Group, France Field, Panama Canal Zone on 22 April 1922.
 Ground elements departed 30 April 1922 from the port of New York on the USAT Somme en route to the Canal Zone.
Air elements concurrently departed Mitchel Field and arrived several days later at France Field, CZ.
 Re-designated the 24th Pursuit Squadron in 1923.

The unit remained at France Field until October 1932 when it was transferred to the newly completed Albrook Field, where it became an element of the 16th Pursuit Group.
 For the rest of its existence, the Squadron's mission was the defense of the Panama Canal.
 The Squadron was progressively redesignated, in keeping with the changes sweeping through the Army Air Corps, becoming first the 24th Pursuit Squadron in 1923; 24th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) in 1939, and finally the 24th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942.

The Great Depression in the United States and lack of funding to the Army Air Service and later Army Air Corps led to the fortunes of the unit being at a rather low ebb by 1 January 1939, at which time the squadron consisted of six flying officers and 93 other ranks, the Squadron was equipped with the Boeing P-26A Peashooter.
 With the breakout of World War II in Europe during September 1939, the Squadron was one of the first to be brought up to strength when, on 7 September 1939, 25 new Second Lieutenants arrived from Barksdale, Selfridge and Langley Fields in the United States.
Between the date of their arrival and the Pearl Harbor Attack on 7 December 1941, 13 of these young officers were reassigned to other Pursuit squadrons in the Canal Zone, and this marked the beginning of a policy whereby most of the Squadrons of the 16th and 32d Pursuit Groups grew, almost literally, out of the 24th Pursuit Squadron.

In October 1939, the Squadron received word that it was to re-equip with the new Curtiss P-36A Hawks.
By the end of 1939, the Squadron was "up to strength," with 12 P-36A's (the Squadron color was yellow at the time), one Captain (the Squadron Commander), 11 Second Lieutenants and 142 enlisted ranks.
 The year 1940 passed in an endless series of training maneuvers, and personnel replacements and reassignments.
 Due to training accidents, as of 31 December 1940, the unit had but eight of its P-36A's left, and officer strength had dwindled to one Captain, one First Lieutenant and six Second Lieutenants, but enlisted strength had grown to 158.
In June 1941, the Squadron received nine new Curtiss P-40C Warhawks and, with these, a number of long-range navigational flights were undertaken, one going so far as Trinidad.
The unit was reconstituted as the 24th Squadron (Pursuit) at Mitchel Field, New York, and assigned to the 6th Composite Group, France Field, Panama Canal Zone on 22 April 1922.  Ground elements departed 30 April 1922 from the port of New York on the USAT Somme en route to the Canal Zone. Air elements concurrently departed Mitchel Field and arrived several days later at France Field, CZ.  Re-designated the 24th Pursuit Squadron in 1923.
The unit remained at France Field until October 1932 when it was transferred to the newly completed Albrook Field, where it became an element of the 16th Pursuit Group.  For the rest of its existence, the Squadron's mission was the defense of the Panama Canal.  The Squadron was progressively redesignated, in keeping with the changes sweeping through the Army Air Corps, becoming first the 24th Pursuit Squadron in 1923; 24th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) in 1939, and finally the 24th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942.
The Great Depression in the United States and lack of funding to the Army Air Service and later Army Air Corps led to the fortunes of the unit being at a rather low ebb by 1 January 1939, at which time the squadron consisted of six flying officers and 93 other ranks, the Squadron was equipped with the Boeing P-26A Peashooter.  With the breakout of World War II in Europe during September 1939, the Squadron was one of the first to be brought up to strength when, on 7 September 1939, 25 new Second Lieutenants arrived from Barksdale, Selfridge and Langley Fields in the United States. Between the date of their arrival and the Pearl Harbor Attack on 7 December 1941, 13 of these young officers were reassigned to other Pursuit squadrons in the Canal Zone, and this marked the beginning of a policy whereby most of the Squadrons of the 16th and 32d Pursuit Groups grew, almost literally, out of the 24th Pursuit Squadron.
In October 1939, the Squadron received word that it was to re-equip with the new Curtiss P-36A Hawks. By the end of 1939, the Squadron was "up to strength," with 12 P-36A's (the Squadron color was yellow at the time), one Captain (the Squadron Commander), 11 Second Lieutenants and 142 enlisted ranks.  The year 1940 passed in an endless series of training maneuvers, and personnel replacements and reassignments.  Due to training accidents, as of 31 December 1940, the unit had but eight of its P-36A's left, and officer strength had dwindled to one Captain, one First Lieutenant and six Second Lieutenants, but enlisted strength had grown to 158. In June 1941, the Squadron received nine new Curtiss P-40C Warhawks and, with these, a number of long-range navigational flights were undertaken, one going so far as Trinidad.
24th Fighter Squadron