The 256th Special Troops Battalion, an element of the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team based in Plaquemine, Lousiana that is also referred to as the 256th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, was activated in the Louisiana Army National Guard as the 1088th Engineer Battalion on 2 September 1995. It was Federally recognized. In 2004, it was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the 256th Infantry Brigade (later designated the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team). For its work in ensuring freedom of movement for all the maneuver elements in the 256th Infantry Brigade and its assistance in in analyzing and mitigating the threats from constantly changing Improvised Explosive Devices, the Battalion was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation.
The Battalion’s outstanding performance was due in no small part to its training and readiness, which was recognized by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) when it was awarded the Major General Milton A. Reckford Trophy. The NGAUS presents the award annually to the Army National Guard Battalion that has achieved the highest state of readiness in the nation.
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In 2009, the 1088th Engineer Battalion was reflagged and reorganized as the 256th Special Troops Battalion, an element of the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team based in Plaquemine, Lousiana. The new unit retained the heraldry and Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), or unit crest of the 1088th Engineer Battalion.
Scarlet and white used in the shield, combined with the crenellated division that resembles a castle wall, denote the organization’s former status as a Corps of Engineers unit. The black pheon (arrowhead shape) is an allusion to the Battalion’s combat role and recalls an airfoil, a nod to the organization’s Anti-Aircraft Artillery heritage. A black divider is a reference to surveying and other Engineering activities, while the black used throughout the insignia denotes strength and stability. “Never Behind” is the Battalion motto.
Guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1, Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia" and 21–3(d) and (e), "Beret" and "Garrison Cap," respectively.