256th Cavalry Regiment (United States)

The 256th Cavalry Regiment was a United States Army parent cavalry regiment, represented in the Louisiana Army National Guard by Troop E, 256th Cavalry, part of the 256th Infantry Brigade, stationed at .

Constituted in 1967, other units were reflagged as Troop E in 1971 and 1977. It was called up for the Gulf War in 1990 but did not deploy. The troop was reflagged as Troop A, 108th Cavalry, in 1996.

The regiment was constituted on 6 November 1967 as the 256th Cavalry, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System in the Louisiana Army National Guard. It was organized on 1 December 1967 to consist of Troop E at Hammond, part of the 256th Infantry Brigade. Troop E had been constituted on 17 June 1956 in the Louisiana National Guard as Battery C of the 105th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion and organized and Federally recognized on 29 July 1948 at Hammond. On 1 October 1953, the battalion dropped the "Automatic Weapons" designation. On 1 July 1959, the battery was redesignated as Troop C of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron of the 139th Armor. It became Troop C of the 139th Cavalry's 1st Squadron on 1 May 1963.

The 256th Cavalry was reorganized on 1 January 1971, and Troop E became Company A of the 205th Engineer Battalion, while the 2228th Engineer Company at Leesville was redesignated as Troop E. The 2228th was originally constituted on 3 December 1941 as Company A of the 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, and activated on 15 December at Camp Shelby. The 773rd arrived at Gourock, Scotland, on 7 February 1944. After landing at in Normandy with M10 tank destroyers on 8 August, it fought in the European Theater of Operations and ended the war in Czechoslovakia in May 1945. The company was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry after returning to the United States on 23 October. It was redesignated as Company A of the 773rd Tank Battalion and allotted to the Louisiana National Guard on 17 June 1946. The battalion became a Heavy Tank Battalion on 17 October 1949, while Company A was based at Leesvillle. On 5 October 1950, during the Korean War, the company was ordered into active Federal service at Leesville. On 17 November, the battalion became a Medium Tank battalion, and on 19 February 1951 reverted to the 773rd Tank Battalion designation. The company was released from active Federal service and reverted to State control on 1 November 1954. On 1 July 1959, the company was redesignated as the 1087th Transportation Company. It became the 2228th Engineer Company on 1 May 1963.