Washington, Sept 4 — US President Donald Trump has announced that the Pentagon will also be known as the Department of War, reviving a historic title last used in the mid-20th century.
According to the White House, Trump will sign an executive order on Friday directing the Department of Defense to adopt the new designation as a secondary name. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will likewise carry the title Secretary of War.
The Pentagon, which oversees the country’s armed forces, is the successor to the War Department, established in 1789 and dissolved in 1947. While the executive order introduces the change in terminology, a formal renaming of the department would legally require congressional approval.
A copy of the order reviewed by the BBC states, “The name ‘Department of War’ conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to ‘Department of Defense,’ which emphasizes only defensive capabilities.”
Trump has long suggested restoring the old name, pointing to America’s “unbelievable history of victory” in both world wars when the department carried the title. He expressed confidence that lawmakers would eventually endorse the move.
> “I don’t even think we need Congress for this,” he told reporters last week. “But if we do, I’m sure they’ll go along.”
Both Trump and Hegseth argue the Pentagon has strayed from its core mission by prioritizing diversity and equity initiatives, which they describe as “woke ideology.” Instead, they say, the department should emphasize “warfighting” and a “warrior ethos.”
