The Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense. Photo: Collected
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense as the ‘Department of War,’ a move that could cost taxpayers billions of dollars, according to a report by Politico.
Politico reported that many within the Pentagon have expressed frustration, anger, and confusion over Trump’s executive order to rebrand the agency. The outlet, citing officials, stated that the changes could incur costs in the billions, raising questions about whether this addresses the military’s most pressing challenges.
A former defense official told Politico, “This is entirely for a domestic political audience. It will not only cost millions of dollars but will have absolutely no impact on Chinese or Russian calculations.” The official added, “Worse, it will be used by our adversaries to portray the U.S. as a warmonger and a threat to international stability.”
According to Politico, the rebranding could require updating the Department of Defense’s seal across more than 700,000 facilities in all 50 U.S. states. Changes would also affect letterheads, signage, and other materials across the six military branches and numerous other agencies.
Politico further noted that officially changing the name would likely require Congressional approval. However, a source familiar with the discussions said the White House has explored ways to bypass a Congressional vote.
According to Reuters, the U.S. Department of Defense was known as the ‘Department of War’ until 1949. After World War II, Congress consolidated the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and in the nuclear age, the U.S. shifted focus to conflict prevention, leading to the adoption of the ‘Department of Defense’ name.
Renaming the agency again would be costly, requiring updates not only to Pentagon signage and letterheads but also to military installations worldwide.
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