The Pentagon is asking Congress to codify its renaming of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
President Trump signed an executive order in September instructing the Defense Department to restore the “Department of War” name, used until the 1940s, as a secondary option and allowing the use of titles such as “Secretary of War.” Trump instructed the Pentagon to use these secondary names and pursue a permanent renaming. Congress has not approved the changes.
In a recent legislative proposal, the Pentagon estimated that the renaming has cost about $52 million, though the final tally will be available only after the changes are completed in the current fiscal year. The proposal said that the department took steps to implement the new name “in the most cost effective and non-invasive ways,” including by using existing letterhead before making changes and updating signage via collective purchases.
The Congressional Budget Office had estimated early this year that Trump’s executive order could cost anywhere from $10 million to $125 million, depending on how extensively the Department of War name is used.
The Pentagon request would involve approximately 7,600 changes to federal law. The legislative proposal said the request has “no significant impact” on the president’s defense budget request for fiscal year 2027.
Trump is seeking a massive 42% increase in defense spending to $1.5 trillion.