U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered that the Department of Defense be referred to as the Department of War. According to BBC, he will sign an executive order on Friday requiring the Pentagon to use the new title as a secondary designation, and for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to be formally recognized as Secretary of War.
The Pentagon, which oversees the U.S. Armed Forces, is the successor of the Department of War, originally established as a cabinet-level agency in 1789 and in place until 1947.
However, since the creation of executive departments falls under the authority of Congress, a formal amendment would be required to legally change the department’s name.
