U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to rename the Department of Defense the “Department of War.” The order reverses a change made after World War Two, when officials sought to emphasise the Pentagon’s role in preventing conflict. Trump signed the order in the Oval Office, announcing plans for a downtown Washington military parade and renaming military bases.
He has also deployed troops domestically, creating military zones along the southern border and in cities like Los Angeles and Washington. The executive order allows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use titles like “Secretary of War” in official correspondence and public communications.
It also directs Hegseth to recommend legislative and executive measures required to make the name change permanent. Name changes for federal departments are rare and require congressional approval, although Republicans hold slim majorities in both chambers.
Two senators, Mike Lee and Rick Scott, and Representative Greg Steube introduced legislation Friday to formalise Trump’s proposed renaming. The U.S. Department of Defense was called the War Department until 1949, when the Army, Navy, and Air Force were consolidated.
Historians say the postwar name shift signalled a focus on preventing conflict during the emerging nuclear age. Renaming the department will be costly, requiring new signage and letterheads at the Pentagon and military installations worldwide.
A previous effort by President Joe Biden to rename Confederate-linked bases was set to cost \$39 million before being reversed this year. Critics argue the renaming is unnecessary and distracts from the Pentagon’s core responsibilities, calling the move a political stunt.
Hegseth defended the plan, saying the change honours the “warrior ethos” and reflects the history and heritage of the department. Trump has framed the change as rejecting “political correctness,” stressing that the U.S. must remain both defensive and offensively prepared.