October 1936 for Pearl Harbor and thence sailed once more to French Frigate Shoals, reaching there on 25 October. She then landed a camp detachment to establish a base on East Island, and tended seaplanes from VP-1, VP-3, VP-4, and VP-10 until 6 November. After returning to the West Coast, Wright subsequently made a winter training cruise to the Caribbean between 2 February and 26 March 1937 and then, after her return to San Diego, departed the United States West Coast on 18 April 1937 in company with the aircraft carrier for fleet problems that stretched to the Hawaiian Islands. Following her return to San Diego on 3 June 1937, Wright spent the next year in coastal operations that took her as far south as Lower California. On 20 October 1937, Commander, Aircraft, Scouting Force, was detached from the ship, and Wright became flagship for Commander, Patrol Wing 1, Aircraft, Scouting Fleet. Wright made a cruise to Kodiak, Territory of Alaska, and Sitka Sound in Southeast Alaska between 20 June and 5 August 1938. During the cruise, the United States Bureau of Fisheries fishery patrol vessel ran aground on Williams Reef in the Kodiak Archipelago from Kodiak on 15 July 1938 and suffered extensive damage. Wright and the seaplane tender arrived to render assistance and succeeded in refloating Brant, which later underwent repairs at Seattle and returned to service by January 1939. 1939–1941 The tender departed San Diego on 2 January 1939 to participate in winter maneuvers in the Caribbean with her aviation units and took part in Fleet Problem XX. Reaching Norfolk from Puerto Rico on 14 March, the seaplane tender returned to the West Coast soon thereafter, as part of the general movement of the fleet from Atlantic to Pacific. Back at San Diego on 16 May, Wright operated out of that port until 10 September, when she sailed for the Hawaiian Islands to become flagship for PatWing 2, based at Pearl Harbor. Arriving there on 19 September (less than three weeks after the outbreak of war in Europe) Wright spent the next two years supporting the establishment of aviation bases on Midway, Canton, Johnston, Palmyra, and Wake Islands. She transported Marines and aviation personnel, as well as construction workers and contractors, between those valuable bases, time and again landing cargo that ranged from construction materials to gasoline and ordnance supplies and other advance base gear. In September