Following shakedown off Bermuda, "Raymond" served as training ship for the Norfolk Training Station, then steamed on 1 July for the Panama Canal. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 23 July, and got underway on 12 August for Guadalcanal and Manus Island. Arriving at the latter on 28 August, she joined the escort carrier group staging for the Morotai assault. On 15 September, she screened the escort carriers attacking Morotai in the Netherlands East Indies. After returning to Manus, she supported air operations on 16 October against Leyte, Philippine Islands.