The 156th Infantry Regiment is a unit in the United States Army and Louisiana Army National Guard comprising two Battalions, both assigned to the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in the Louisiana Army National Guard. The 2nd Battalion is headquartered at Abbeville and consists of five companies in addition to its HHC (Headquarters and Headquarters Company), while the 3rd Battalion is based at Lake Charles and has the same number of companies under its command. Two of the Regiment’s Battalions, the 1st and the 4th, were disbanded and removed from service due to Regimental reorganizations in 1977 and 1967 respectively.
The 2nd Battalion was originally formed on the May 9 and May 17, 1861 as the 2nd and 3rd Louisiana Volunteer Infantry Regiments; its Civil War service is commemorated on the 156th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia with a saltire inspired by the Confederate States of America flag. Beneath the saltire is a leopard; this was taken from the coat of arms of Normandy and represents the unit’s service in Northern France during World War II. The unit motto, "Dieu et Moi," is French for "God and Me.
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Also known as a unit crest or DUI, a Distinctive Unit Insignia is worn by all Soldiers (except General Officers) in units that have been authorized to be issued the device.
It is worn centered on the shoulder loops of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) and the blue Army Service Uniform (Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
Enlisted personnel wear the insignia centered on a shoulder loop by placing it an equal distance from the outside shoulder seam to the outside edge of the shoulder-loop button. Officers (except Generals) wearing grade insignia on the shoulder loops center the DUI by placing it an equal distance between the inside edge of the grade insignia and the outside edge of the button.
Full 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.