Washington, SANA-US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that directs the Department of Defense to be known as the Department of War.
The move restores a name the agency last held in the 1940s and, according to the text of the order seen by the BBC, the aim is to “project strength and resolve”.
The department will initially use the new name as a “secondary title” while the administration seeks congressional approval to make the change permanent.
The White House is yet to say how much a rebrand would cost, but US media expect a billion-dollar price tag for the overhaul of hundreds of agencies, emblems, email addresses and uniforms.
The Department of Defense (DoD) – which oversees the US armed services – is the successor to the War Department, which was first established as a cabinet-level agency in 1789 and existed until 1947.
Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday, adding that “it sends a message of victory”.
The order says Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will be known as secretary of war. It instructs him to recommend and include legislative and executive actions to move towards a permanent renaming of the department.
The executive order says: “The name ‘Department of War’ conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to ‘Department of Defense,’ which emphasizes only defensive capabilities.”
“I think it’s a much more appropriate name, in light of where the world is right now,”
Speaking during the signing, Hegseth said that “this name change is not just about renaming, it’s about restoring”, adding “words matter”.
“We’re going to go on offence, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct,” he said. “We’re going to raise up warriors, not just defenders.”.
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