After training in the United States, it moved to England and engaged in strategic bombing campaign against Germany with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers.

It gathered its initial cadre at Gowen, but only began training for combat with the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress after moving to Pyote Army Air Field, Texas at the end of the year.

On 8 May 1943, the ground echelon began moving to the port of embarkation at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and boarded the RMS Queen Elizabeth for the European Theater of Operations on 27 May.

The squadron entered the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, when it flew its first mission on 21 June, a diversionary attack against Antwerp.

On 8 October 1943, despite heavy enemy interceptor opposition, it accurately struck shipyards at Bremen, for which it was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC).

The squadron was located at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota a few days later and was inactivated on 24 August 1945.

Although designated a very heavy bombardment group, it does not appear to have been fully manned and was equipped with North American AT-6 Texan and Beechcraft AT-11 training aircraft.

[10] President Truman's reduced 1949 defense budget also required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,[11] and the 532d was inactivated In June 1949.

[1][13] The 532nd serves Air Force Global Strike Command by providing initial and advanced maintenance training in LGM-30G Minuteman III, and AGM-86 ALCM air-launched cruise missile systems.

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