The 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Louisiana Brigade[1]) is a modular infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the Louisiana Army National Guard. It is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana. Currently the brigade is part of the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas Army National Guard.

The brigade was established in 1967, as part of an initiative by Secretary of Defense McNamara to reduce the number of National Guard divisions while increasing the number of brigades. The 256th replaced a brigade from the 39th Infantry Division in the Louisiana Army National Guard. The brigade was part of the Selected Reserve Force from 1967–1969, but the Selected Reserve Force was eliminated in an attempt to eliminate readiness differences between reserve component units. The brigade initially consisted of three infantry battalions and a brigade base: a headquarters company; a reconnaissance troop; light tank and engineer companies; a 105mm howitzer battalion; and a support battalion[2] In 1975, the 256th was assigned as the 'round-out' brigade for the 5th Infantry Division as part of the expansion to a 24 division force. The brigade was mechanized in 1977, when the 1st Battalion, 156th Infantry was converted to the 1st Battalion, 156th Armor[2][3][4]

256th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) (1977–2006)The 256th Brigade was activated from November 1990 through May 1991, and conducted training at Fort Hood, TX, but never deployed.[4] Some controversy arose over this activation of three round out brigades (the 256th; the 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard; and the 155th Armor Brigade, Mississippi Army National Guard). None of the three brigades deployed before the end of combat in Operations Desert Storm.[5] After the 5th Infantry Division was inactivated in 1992, the 256th Brigade served as the round out brigade for the 2nd Armored Division, until the end of the round out program in 1996.[6]

With the end of the round out program, the 256th was selected as one of 15 Enhanced Brigades in the ARNG. The enhanced brigade program increased resources and training to allow the brigades to mobilize and deploy within 120 days