The U.S. Army acquired "Geoanna" on 3 September 1943 for service in the Southwest Pacific Area. That command modified the vessel as a communications ship for use by the Army Signal Corps. On 12 December 1943 the ship became part of the Army operated radio communication fleet joining the other sailing ships "Volador" and the previously operating, Australian registered vessels, "Harold" and "Argosy Lamal". A crew of mixed Army, Navy and Australian civilian personnel operated these predecessors of the CP, or Command Post, ships in the Port Moresby, Woodlark and Laee-Salamau areas. "Geoanna" was given the Army designation of TP-249. The ship served as a communications relay during operations of the Western New Guinea campaign into the Moluccas through landings at Tacloban in the Philippines.