Shield
Gules, in chief a fleur-de-lis, in base an eagle's head erased Argent, two flaunches of the last, the dexter charged with a castle, the sinister with a prickly pear cactus of the first.
Crest
That for the regiments and separate battalions of the South Dakota Army National Guard: From a wreath Argent and Gules, a coyote statant, Proper.
Motto
NUNC ET SEMPER (Now And Always).
Shield
The cactus is derived from the coat of arms of the 125th Field Artillery, the 109th and the 110th Engineers; the fleur-de-lis, from that of the same organizations; the eagle's head, from the 110th Engineers; and the castle, from the 125th Field Artillery. This arrangement indicates descent from all organizations, using the colors of the Engineer Corps representing original approval of the design as an Engineer unit.
Crest
The crest is that of the South Dakota Army National Guard.
The coat of arms was originally approved for the 132d Engineer Regiment on 12 October 1942. It was redesignated for the 132d Engineer Combat Battalion on 31 July 1943. It was redesignated for the 196th Infantry Regiment and amended to delete the Missouri crest on 18 January 1951. The insignia was rescinded (cancelled) on 3 August 1961. It was reinstated and redesignated for the 196th Regiment with the blazon and symbolism revised on 24 February 1997.