The 596th Bombardment Squadron was established in early 1943 as a B-26 Marauder medium bomber group. Initially it was an Operational Training Unit under the Third Air Force in the southeastern United States. It was realigned as an operational squadron and deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO), and assigned to Ninth Air Force in England in early 1944. Engaged in tactical bombardment of enemy targets in France and the Low Countries in the spring of 1944, also participated in the extensive bombardment of the D-Day invasion area in preparation for the Operation Overlord landings in France. After D-Day, moved from England to Advanced Landing Grounds in France, providing tactical bombardment of enemy strong points as well as bridges, railroads and other targets in support of Allied ground forces during the Northern France Campaign. Supported the Western Allied invasion of Germany during the spring of 1945, continuing combat operations against enemy targets in Germany until the German Capitulation in May 1945. Squadron demobilized in France during the summer of 1945, returning personnel and equipment to the United States. Inactivated as a paper unit during December 1945. Reactivated as a Strategic Air Command B-52G Stratofortress intercontinental strategic bombardment squadron in 1963 as part of SAC program to provide provisional units with a combat lineage. Carried out operational training missions with the 397th Bombardment Wing at Dow AFB, Maine. Reassigned to Barksdale AFB in April 1968 with the closure of Dow. The 596th itself was inactivated when it was replaced by the 96th Bomb Squadron on 1 October 1991.