President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that will revive the old name of the Pentagon, bringing back “Department of War” as a formal title alongside the Department of Defense. The order, scheduled for September 5, introduces a symbolic but far-reaching change that Trump and his team say reflects a new direction for U.S. military culture.
The order authorizes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use the title “Secretary of War” in official communications and directs the Pentagon to begin updating signs, websites, and public references. According to administration officials, the initiative is part of what the White House calls a “warrior ethos” campaign meant to restore what Trump has described as a stronger and more assertive image for the military.
Trump previewed the change in late August, telling reporters that the nation’s great victories in the first and second world wars came when the military was overseen by the Department of War. He argued that the switch to “Defense” in the mid-20th century made the country sound passive. “Defense is fine,” he said, “but we want to show we can also act when we must.”
Hegseth, who has already been informally referred to by Trump as “Secretary of War,” echoed those comments during a televised interview. He said the shift is meant to emphasize readiness and combat capability, not bureaucracy. “We want warriors who know how to deliver results on the battlefield,” he said. “The language we use should reflect that mindset.”
The United States first created the War Department in 1789, with Henry Knox serving as its inaugural leader. For decades it was responsible for the Army and, until a separate Navy Department was established, for naval forces as well. After World War II, Congress reorganized the armed services through the National Security Act of 1947, bringing the Army, Navy, and newly created Air Force into a single structure. Two years later, lawmakers chose “Department of Defense” as the permanent name, in part to emphasize deterrence during the nuclear age.
Trump’s new order does not immediately erase “Defense” from the record books, but it does set in motion a process to restore “War Department” as a full legal title. The White House has instructed Hegseth to draft both executive and legislative proposals that could eventually make the change permanent.
The question of whether congressional approval is needed remains unsettled. Under U.S. law, only Congress can establish executive departments, yet Trump has suggested he can proceed without waiting for lawmakers. “We’re just going to do it,” he said in August. “If Congress wants to make it official, I expect they’ll support us. But we don’t need to wait.”
Some Republicans are already lining up behind the idea. Senator Rick Scott of Florida, Senator Mike Lee of Utah, and Representative Greg Steube of Florida introduced bills this week that would formally adopt the new title. With narrow GOP majorities in both chambers, the measures could advance if leadership agrees to prioritize them.
Critics, however, see the move as both costly and unnecessary. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, an Army veteran, argued that the money required for renaming signs, updating websites, and revising stationery would be better spent on military families and diplomatic efforts. “This isn’t about making the country stronger,” she said. “It’s about branding.”
Estimates for the cost of the project are not yet available, but analysts point to a recent effort to rename nine Army bases as a comparison. That program, undertaken during the Biden administration to remove Confederate references, was projected at nearly $40 million. Opponents argue that a worldwide rebranding of the Pentagon could carry an even larger price tag.
Beyond cost, critics warn that the change may divert attention from pressing challenges, including recruitment difficulties, modernization of weapons systems, and competition with China and Russia. Some defense scholars say the emphasis on language risks overshadowing strategy. “What matters is how the military prepares and fights, not what we call it,” said one policy analyst.
For Trump, the announcement is part of a broader campaign to restore traditional imagery and terminology in the armed forces. Earlier this year, Hegseth reversed the renaming of Confederate-linked bases and reinstated older ceremonial language at the Pentagon. Supporters argue that these steps reconnect the institution with its past and project strength abroad. Opponents counter that the focus on symbols is a distraction from practical issues.
Once Trump signs the order, “Department of War” will begin appearing on internal documents, press releases, and ceremonial programs. The Pentagon’s press room will be renamed the “War Annex,” and agencies under its authority will be told to adopt the new terminology. Whether the title becomes permanent depends on Congress, but the administration is already acting as if the change is here to stay.
The debate ensures that the naming of America’s largest federal agency—something that has remained stable for more than seven decades—will become an issue in both domestic politics and national security discussions. As the new title rolls out, the United States may soon find itself explaining to allies and adversaries alike why it has chosen to once again identify its military headquarters as the Department of War.
Image is in the public domain and was created by DoD photo by Master Sgt. Ken Hammond, U.S. Air Force.
