The Pentagon is requesting that Congress formally codify the renaming of the Department of Defense to the Department of War in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The request follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in September 2025 that authorized the name and directed the department to pursue a permanent statutory change.
The name "Department of War" was originally established in 1789 under President George Washington and remained in use until 1949, when the organization was redesignated as the Department of Defense. The Trump administration has characterized the change as a restoration of the department's core mission to fight and win wars. However, the effort has faced opposition from congressional Democrats and Sen. Angus King (I-ME), who have questioned the necessity of the change and the administration's authority to use the title without prior legislative approval.
A legislative proposal submitted by the department includes approximately 7,600 conforming changes to federal law, replacing references to the "Department of Defense" and "Secretary of Defense" with "Department of War" and "Secretary of War." In June, the House Armed Services Committee adopted an amendment for the renaming with a 29-27 vote, and the measure has also received support in the Senate Armed Services Committee's draft of the annual defense policy bill.
For military personnel and civilian employees, the change would be noticed in official communications, signage, and administrative systems. The Pentagon has already updated its website, social media accounts, and installed a "Department of War" plaque at its entrance. Defense contractors have also begun adopting the moniker in their business dealings with the government. Critics of the move, including a group of Senate Democrats, argue that the spending is a diversion of resources from national security functions to what they described in September 2025 as political theater.
The effects include the cost of updating legal documents, recruitment materials, and institutional branding across the entire military service branches. Supporters, such as Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, argue that the clarity of the name strengthens alliances and defines the department's mission for adversaries. The next steps for the proposal depend on whether the measures remain in the final version of the NDAA. Congress must vote on the final defense bill before it can be sent to the president's desk for signature. Provisions regarding the finalized cost assessment for the 2026 fiscal year are expected to be available after the year is completed.