Trump seeks to rebrand Department of Defense as Department of War

September 5, 2025

President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order directing the Department of Defense to be renamed as the Department of War, initially as a secondary title while seeking congressional approval for a permanent change. The administration believes the name change will "project strength and resolve" and convey a stronger message of readiness compared to the current name, which emphasizes only defensive capabilities. The rebrand could potentially cost billions of dollars to implement across hundreds of agencies, emblems, email addresses, and uniforms.

Who is affected

The Department of Defense and its personnel
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (who would become Secretary of War)
Hundreds of agencies under the DoD umbrella
U.S. military members whose uniforms and emblems would change
U.S. taxpayers who would fund the estimated billion-dollar rebrand

What action is being taken

President Trump is signing an executive order directing the Department of Defense to adopt "Department of War" as a secondary title
The administration is seeking congressional approval to make the name change permanent
Secretary Hegseth is being instructed to recommend legislative and executive actions to move toward a permanent renaming

Why it matters

The name change represents a significant shift in messaging from defensive capabilities to projecting strength and "warfighting"
It would restore a historical name the department held from 1789 until 1947
The rebrand is estimated to cost billions of dollars to implement across the entire department
The change reflects the Trump administration's stated desire to shift focus away from diversity, equity, and inclusion programs toward what they call a "warrior ethos"
The executive order marks Trump's 200th since taking office

What's next

The Department of Defense will begin using "Department of War" as a secondary title
The administration will seek congressional approval to make the name change permanent
Secretary Hegseth will recommend specific legislative and executive actions to implement the permanent renaming

Read full article from source: BBC