The Special Service Squadron was a component of the United States Navy that operated from 1920 to 1940, primarily patrolling the Caribbean Sea to safeguard American interests, including the Panama Canal, amid political instability in Central America and the Caribbean. Established as an independent command, it conducted gunboat diplomacy, supported U.S. interventions, and maintained a presence along Central and South American coasts. It was headquartered in Balboa, Panama Canal Zone.