U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, reviving the historic title last used more than seven decades ago.
The announcement was made Friday during a ceremony at the Oval Office, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was formally introduced under his new designation as “Secretary of War.”
Deputy Secretary Steve Feinberg also received a redesignation as “Deputy Secretary of War.”
“It’s a very important change, because it’s an attitude,” Trump declared while signing the order. “It’s really about winning.”
The Pentagon wasted no time in adopting the change.
By Friday evening, updated signs had already been installed at its Arlington headquarters.
Hegseth, who had long pushed for the revival of the old name, welcomed the shift, stating:
“We’re going to go on the offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality.”
For more than 150 years, the War Department oversaw the U.S. Army and Navy.
However, in 1949, Congress reorganized the military and renamed it the Department of Defense to highlight the mission of deterring conflict, especially during the nuclear age.
Trump argued that the older name better represents America’s strength.
Earlier in the week, he hinted at the decision during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.
“We had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense,” he said.
The executive order has already sparked discussions across Washington and beyond.
Furthermore, it raises questions about how allies and adversaries will interpret the change.
