DOD • Orders

Trump Renames DOD to Department of War

5 September 2025

(DOD NEWS)  President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order today changing the Defense Department’s name to the Department of War as a secondary title.

The order — the 200th signed by the president since taking office — authorizes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and DOD subordinate officials to use secondary titles like “Department of War,” “Secretary of War” and “Deputy Secretary of War” in public communications, official correspondence, ceremonial contexts and non-statutory documents within the executive branch, according to a fact sheet released by the White House.

Additionally, the order directs all executive agencies and departments to “recognize and accommodate these secondary titles in internal and external communications,” as well as instructing Hegseth to recommend actions — including executive and legislative actions — that would be required to permanently rename the department.

“The name ‘Department of War’ conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to ‘Department of Defense,’ which emphasizes only defensive capabilities,” the fact sheet reads.

“Restoring the name ‘Department of War’ will sharpen the focus of this department on our national interests and signal to adversaries America’s readiness to wage war to secure its interests,” it continues.

Prior to signing the executive order, Trump said, “This is something [we’ve] thought long and hard about; we’ve been talking about it for months.”

He added that, under the original War Department, the U.S. achieved military victories in both world wars; however, victories turned into more prolonged conflicts that often resulted in a “sort of tie” once the War Department rebranded as the Defense Department.

Hegseth concurred with Trump’s contention.

“We changed the name after World War II from the Department of War to the Department of Defense and … we haven’t won a major war since,” Hegseth said.

“And that’s not to disparage our warfighters … That’s to recognize that this name change is not just about renaming, it’s about restoring; words matter,” he continued.

The secretary went on to say that the War Department would fight decisively to win and not get mired down in endless conflicts.

“Maximum lethality, not tepid legality; violent effect, not politically correct,” he said.

A painting depicting a man wearing a colonial military uniform leaning on a cannon barrel.

The War Department was originally established by Congress on Aug. 7, 1789, the same year the Constitution took effect. It replaced the Board of War and Ordnance, which was created in 1776 during the Revolutionary War.

The War Department had oversight over the Army and Navy until 1798, when the Navy Department was formed.

The first secretary of war, a civilian position, was retired Army Gen. Henry Knox, who was appointed by President George Washington. Fort Knox, Kentucky, is named after him.

On Nov. 8, 1800, the War Department building in Washington burned down and with it, all of the department’s records.

A black and white photograph of a gothic-style, five-story building with antique cars parked nearby.

 

During the Civil War, the department was responsible for recruiting, training, supply, medical care, transportation and the pay of two million soldiers.

The War Department’s name remained the same for over 150 years, until it merged with the Department of the Navy and the newly established Department of the Air Force to become the National Military Establishment with the passage of the 1947 National Security Act.

Famous War Department secretaries include James Monroe, who became president; John Calhoun, who became vice president; Jefferson Davis, who became president of the Confederate States; Ulysses S. Grant, a former Union general who became president; Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln; and William Howard Taft, who became president and then chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores the United States Department of War (White House)

RESTORING THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to restore the historic name “Department of War” as a secondary title for the Department of Defense. This is the 200th Executive Order the President has signed since taking office.

  • The Order authorizes the Secretary of Defense, the Department of Defense, and subordinate officials to use secondary titles such as “Secretary of War,” “Department of War,” and “Deputy Secretary of War” in official correspondence, public communications, ceremonial contexts, and non-statutory documents within the executive branch.
  • The Order directs all executive departments and agencies to recognize and accommodate these secondary titles in internal and external communications.
  • The Order instructs the Secretary of War to recommend actions, to include legislative and executive actions, required to permanently rename the U.S. Department of Defense to the U.S. Department of War.

PROJECTING STRENGTH AND RESOLVE: The United States military is the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world, and the President believes this Department should have a name that reflects its unmatched power and readiness to protect national interests.

  • The Department of War, established in 1789, led the U.S. to victory in the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II, inspiring confidence in America’s military strength.
  • On January 8, 1790, President George Washington, in his First Annual Address to Congress, stated “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace”.  Our founders knew that projecting strength would be the best way to ensure that we would rarely need to use it.
  • The name “Department of War” conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to “Department of Defense,” which emphasizes only defensive capabilities.
  • Restoring the name “Department of War” will sharpen the focus of this Department on our national interest and signal to adversaries America’s readiness to wage war to secure its interests.

ADVANCING PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH: The American people elected President Trump to restore an America First approach, prioritizing peace through strength and ensuring the world respects the United States again.

  • In his first week in office, President Trump signed an Executive Order to prioritize readiness and lethality in our armed forces.
  • President Trump has emphasized restoring national pride in America’s military heritage, including honoring historic victories as the Nation approaches its 250th birthday.
  • To honor the Army’s 250th birthday, President Trump held a military parade in Washington, D.C., showcasing America’s military might and celebrating its storied legacy of valor and victory.
  • Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. military delivered a decisive and obliterating strike against Iran’s nuclear capabilities, demonstrating America’s unmatched military power and deterring further aggression.
  • Recruiting is now at its highest in decades, revitalizing the armed forces with a new generation of warriors committed to defending America’s interests.
Share this post:

You may also like

Get Women Out of Combat

By Will Thibeau, Army Ranger veteran, and Carson Ruch Last week, the Israel Defense Forces announced it will no longer train...

Leave a Comment