532d Training Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 532d Training Squadron is a United States Air Force
unit. It is assigned to the 381st Training Group
, stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base
, California
.
(ICBM) operations and ICBM and Air Launched Missile (ALM) maintenance forces. It trains electronic, electro- and missile-mechanical, facility, and spacelift maintenance technicians. It also produces six career development courses in support of the maintenance and management of the nation’s ALCM, ICBM, and spacelift systems.
Soon after, the 532d trained under II Bomber Command
and took station at Pyote Army Air Field, Texas
where the first two phases of unit training took place. The rest of the training was conducted at Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado
and in the simulations throughout the country. Received deployment orders for the European Theater of Operations
(ETO) in May 1943.
During the three years before its inactivation, the 532d Bombardment Squadron was part of the rapid buildup of the Army Air Forces in the European Theater of Operations
(ETO). At that time, the Eighth Air Force
and the Royal Air Force
Bomber Command
were engaged in a combined bomber offensive against strategic targets in Nazi Germany
and Occupied Europe. Armed with B-17 Flying Fortresses, the 532d was a part of many bombardment raids. These included the campaigns in Normandy
, Northern France
, Rhineland
, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. The 532d also bombed targets in support of the Battle of the Bulge
.
After V-E Day, the unit returned to Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota
in July 1945, although many combat personnel were demobilized upon return to the United States. A small cadre of personnel were formed with replacement personnel assigned. The unit was programmed for conversion to B-29 Superfortress
very heavy bombers however no aircraft were assigned. The Japanese Capitulation in early August led to the units inactivation on 28 August, with personnel either reassigned to other units or demobilized.
Effective 20 December 1946, the squadron was activated at Offutt Field, Nebraska
. Having been allotted to the organized reserves, with assignment to Second Air Force
, Air Defense Command, it was redesigned as a very heavy bombardment unit on 27 December 1946. Late in September 1947, the squadron was assigned to the 381st Bombardment Group, Very Heavy. In July 1948, the group was reassigned from the Second Air Force to the Tenth Air Force
, which in December, became a part of the Continental Air Command
. The 532d Squadron was inactivated at Offutt Air Force Base on 27 June 1949 due to budget restrictions.
Effective 29 November 1961, the unit was redesigned the 532d Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Titan), Strategic Air Command
(SAC) and organized on 8 March 1962 as a part of the 381st Strategic Missile Wing. Operated nine Titan II underground silos constructed beginning in 1960; the first site going operationally ready in October 1963 The 9 missile silos remained on alert for over 20 years during the Cold War
.37°37′23"N 097°16′02"W
In October 1981, President Ronald Reagan
announced that as part of the strategic modernization program, Titan II systems were to be retired by October 1, 1987. Inactivation of the sites began in September 1984, with the last being closed in March 1986; the squadron being inactivated on 8 August.
After removal from service, the silos had reusable equipment removed by Air Force personnel, and contractors retrieved salvageable metals before destroying the silos with explosives and filling them in. Access to the vacated control centers was blocked off. Missile sites were later sold off to private ownership after demilitarization. Today the remains of the sites are still visible in aerial imagery, in various states of use or abandonment.
Redesignated and activated on 30 September 1994 as the 532d Training Squadron, Air Education and Training Command
(AETC), the 532nd serves Air Combat Command
(ACC) and Air Force Global Strike Command (AFSPC) by providing initial and advanced maintenance training in LGM-30G Minuteman III
, and AGM-86 ALCM
air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) systems as well as spacelift maintenance training.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. It is assigned to the 381st Training Group
381st Training Group
The United States Air Force 381st Training Group at Vandenberg AFB, California provides training for the nation's space and intercontinental ballistic missile operations and ICBM and Air Launched Missile maintenance forces...
, stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Mission
The mission of the unit is to conduct training for the nation's space and Intercontinental Ballistic MissileIntercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
(ICBM) operations and ICBM and Air Launched Missile (ALM) maintenance forces. It trains electronic, electro- and missile-mechanical, facility, and spacelift maintenance technicians. It also produces six career development courses in support of the maintenance and management of the nation’s ALCM, ICBM, and spacelift systems.
History
The 532d was constituted as the 532d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 28 October 1942, and then activated as a part of the 381st Bombardment Group, Heavy on 3 November 1942 at Gowen Field, IdahoIdaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
Soon after, the 532d trained under II Bomber Command
II Bomber Command
The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
and took station at Pyote Army Air Field, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
where the first two phases of unit training took place. The rest of the training was conducted at Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and in the simulations throughout the country. Received deployment orders for the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO) in May 1943.
During the three years before its inactivation, the 532d Bombardment Squadron was part of the rapid buildup of the Army Air Forces in the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO). At that time, the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
and the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Bomber Command
Bomber Command
Bomber Command is an organizational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. Many countries have a "Bomber Command", although the most famous ones were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for Strategic bombing , and is composed of bombers...
were engaged in a combined bomber offensive against strategic targets in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Occupied Europe. Armed with B-17 Flying Fortresses, the 532d was a part of many bombardment raids. These included the campaigns in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, Northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. The 532d also bombed targets in support of the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
.
After V-E Day, the unit returned to Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
in July 1945, although many combat personnel were demobilized upon return to the United States. A small cadre of personnel were formed with replacement personnel assigned. The unit was programmed for conversion to B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
very heavy bombers however no aircraft were assigned. The Japanese Capitulation in early August led to the units inactivation on 28 August, with personnel either reassigned to other units or demobilized.
Effective 20 December 1946, the squadron was activated at Offutt Field, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. Having been allotted to the organized reserves, with assignment to Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, Air Defense Command, it was redesigned as a very heavy bombardment unit on 27 December 1946. Late in September 1947, the squadron was assigned to the 381st Bombardment Group, Very Heavy. In July 1948, the group was reassigned from the Second Air Force to the Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, which in December, became a part of the Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
. The 532d Squadron was inactivated at Offutt Air Force Base on 27 June 1949 due to budget restrictions.
Effective 29 November 1961, the unit was redesigned the 532d Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Titan), Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC) and organized on 8 March 1962 as a part of the 381st Strategic Missile Wing. Operated nine Titan II underground silos constructed beginning in 1960; the first site going operationally ready in October 1963 The 9 missile silos remained on alert for over 20 years during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.37°37′23"N 097°16′02"W
In October 1981, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
announced that as part of the strategic modernization program, Titan II systems were to be retired by October 1, 1987. Inactivation of the sites began in September 1984, with the last being closed in March 1986; the squadron being inactivated on 8 August.
After removal from service, the silos had reusable equipment removed by Air Force personnel, and contractors retrieved salvageable metals before destroying the silos with explosives and filling them in. Access to the vacated control centers was blocked off. Missile sites were later sold off to private ownership after demilitarization. Today the remains of the sites are still visible in aerial imagery, in various states of use or abandonment.
Redesignated and activated on 30 September 1994 as the 532d Training Squadron, Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
(AETC), the 532nd serves Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC) and Air Force Global Strike Command (AFSPC) by providing initial and advanced maintenance training in LGM-30G Minuteman III
LGM-30 Minuteman
The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States...
, and AGM-86 ALCM
AGM-86 ALCM
The Boeing AGM-86 ALCM is a U.S. subsonic air-launched cruise missile built by Boeing Company and operated by the United States Air Force. The missiles were developed to increase the effectiveness and survivability of Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bombers...
air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) systems as well as spacelift maintenance training.
Lineage
- Constituted 532d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Oct 1942
- Activated on 3 Nov 1942
- Redesignated 532d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 20 Aug 1943
- Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945.
- Redesignated 532d Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 20 Dec 1946
- Activated in the reserve on 27 Feb 1947
- Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949.
- Redesignated 532d Strategic Missile Squadron, and activated, on 26 Feb 1962
- Organized on 1 Aug 1962
- Inactivated on 8 August 1986
- Redesignated as 532d Training Squadron and reactivated on 1 April 1994
Assignments
- 381st Bombardment Group, 3 Nov 1942-28 Aug 1945; 15 Sep 1947-27 Jun 1949
- Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 26 Feb 1962 - 381st Strategic Missile Wing, 1 Aug 1962-8 Aug 1986
- 381st Training Group381st Training GroupThe United States Air Force 381st Training Group at Vandenberg AFB, California provides training for the nation's space and intercontinental ballistic missile operations and ICBM and Air Launched Missile maintenance forces...
, 1 Apr 1994-Present
Stations
- Gowen Field, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, 3 Nov 1942 - Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington, 1 Dec 1942
- Pyote Army Air Field, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, 27 Dec 1942 - Pueblo Army Air Base, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, 6 Apr-10 May 1943 - RAF RidgewellRAF RidgewellRAF Ridgewell is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 7½ miles NW of Halstead in Essex. During the war, the airfield was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force.-Overview:...
(AAF-167), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 2 Jun 1943-24 Jun 1945 - Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, 3 Jul-28 Aug 1945 - Offutt Field, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 27 Apr 1947-27 Jun 1949 - McConnell AFB, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 1 Aug 1962-8 Aug 1986 - Vandenberg AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 1 Apr 1994-Present
Aircraft and missiles
- B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942-1945
- B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 1947-1949 - LGM-25C Titan II Missile, 1962–1986
- Operated nine missile sites:
-
- 532-1 (21 Nov 1963-8 Jan 1985), 2.2 mi NN of Rome, KS 37°11′04"N 097°24′31"W
- 532-2 (29 Nov 1963-16 Nov 1985), 0.6 mi ESE of Mayfield, KS 37°15′16"N 097°32′03"W
- 532-3 (4 Dec 1963-17 Sep 1984), 1.9 mi SSE of Conway Springs, KS 37°21′48"N 097°37′59"W
- 532-4 (13 Nov 1963-20 Feb 1986), 3.9 mi WSW of Viola, KS 37°28′04"N 097°42′41"W
- 532-5 (10 Nov 1963-10 Aug 1984), 3.5 mi W of Norwich, KS 37°27′51"N 097°54′40"W
- 532-6 (31 Oct 1963-16 Jan 1986), 8.8 mi WSW of Belmont, KS 37°25′31"N 098°04′08"W
- 532-7 (14 Nov 1963-29 Oct 1984), 1.6 mi ENE of Murdock, KS 37°37′17"N 097°54′13"W
- 532-8 (23 Oct 1963-29 Jan 1986), 2.3 mi SW of Varner, KS 37°41′47"N 098°04′03"W
- 532-9 (15 Oct 1963-25 Mar 1986), 1.9 mi W of Saint Joe, KS 37°45′08"N 097°45′55"W