256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States) - Insignia

Insignia

The saltire, symbol used on military maps to represent a brigade, stands for the organization. In addition, the saltire, which appears on the coat of arms of Nova Scotia and on the Confederate flag, alludes to the Brigade’s home area whose early inhabitants were from Nova Scotia, and to the Confederacy of which Louisiana was a part. The fleur-de-lis, referring to the location of the brigade’s headquarters at Lafayette, stands for the French background and traditions of that part of the State. The center frond is red in reference to Lafayette’s original name, Vermilionville, and to nearby Bayou Vermilion. The combination of blue, for Infantry and gray, for the Confederacy, with red and gold also alludes to the branch colors for Artillery and various other components of the brigade. The rectangle shield shape is the traditional shape for shoulder sleeve insignia of brigades.