Washington, MINA – US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday to rename the Department of Defense the “Department of War,” restoring its original title used until 1949, Al Mayadeen reported.
The Pentagon carried the name until the post–World War II restructuring of the military, when Congress shifted the focus toward collective defense and deterrence in the nuclear age.
Trump’s move is part of a wider effort to rebrand the US military, following his decisions to hold a large military parade in Washington, D.C., reinstate original names of bases changed after the 2020 racial justice protests, and expand military roles inside the US and along the southern border.
The order authorizes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior officials to use the titles “Secretary of War” and “Deputy Secretary of War” in official communications. It also instructs Hegseth to draft legislative and executive measures to solidify the name change. Republican lawmakers, holding slim majorities in Congress, introduced bills Friday to make the change permanent.
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Renaming the Pentagon is expected to be costly, requiring new signage, stationery, and updates across military installations worldwide. Critics say the move is unnecessary and distracts from pressing global crises. However, Hegseth defended the decision, stating that it reflects the “warrior ethos” and is more than a symbolic change. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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