On September 5, 2025, U.S. President Trump (left) signed an executive order to rename the U.S. "Department of Defense" to the "Department of War" in the presence of U.S. Secretary of Defense Hegseth (center) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Keane, and made a speech to the media (European Press Agency)

The "America 2025" project states: "The Department of Defense is the largest component of the U.S. federal government; it has nearly 3 million military or civilian personnel and requires nearly $85 billion annually, accounting for more than 50% of government spending." The project emphasizes the importance of the Pentagon. During Trump's administration, the Pentagon's budget increased, reaching approximately $1.01 trillion by fiscal year 2026.

Almost 80 years ago, in 1947, American lawmakers sat down to discuss a bill aimed at reorganizing the armed forces after World War II. They agreed to change the name of the "Department of War" to a less risky "Department of Defense," indicating that the United States would defend its interests and the new international order it led.

Eighty years later, President Trump turned the same page, but with a different perspective. He believed that the word "defense" weakened America's national image, and using the word "war" aligned with the practice of restoring the glory of the era of American power.

After Trump took office in early 2025, he issued a series of decisions focusing on names and dates he considered part of America's era of victory. He renamed the "Gulf of Mexico" to "American Gulf" and renamed military bases that had been changed by former President Biden. Finally, on September 5 this year, he issued an executive order to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, and in his official speeches, he adopted an aggressive tone towards competitors.

Advance Notice and Legislative Constraints

On August 25 this year, when Trump spoke in the White House Oval Office, he hinted that he wanted to restore the original name of the Department of Defense, "Department of War," which dates back to 1789. He believed the current name was incomplete, and he preferred the term "war" because its meaning was deeper and closely related to the victories of the United States in World War I and World War II.

Trump explained that focusing solely on defense was incongruent with a country that was used to (in his words) "winning every war." He also emphasized that the new name needed to reflect an offensive strategy. When speaking to the Secretary of Defense Hegseth, Trump said, "If you want to change it back to the name we always won wars with, that's fine."

After the president issued the executive order, the U.S. military quickly implemented the decision. The Pentagon's official social media account immediately changed its name, and Hegseth also used the title "Secretary of War" in his official statement.

Hegseth emphasized that this move was not just a formal change of terminology, but "aimed at enhancing the warrior spirit of the Pentagon," which aligns with the Trump administration's slogan of "America First, peace through strength." Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell emphasized that this change was necessary because "winning wars is the core mission of the military, and mere defense is not enough. We must be prepared to attack and suppress the enemy."

Dan Caldwell, a former assistant to Hegseth, explained that since 1947, the United States has never stopped waging wars and intervening, and restoring the old name is merely an acknowledgment of the true role of the Department of Defense over the past 80 years: the United States has never stopped waging wars.

Dan Caldwell: After the establishment of the Department of Defense in 1947, which absorbed the Department of War (and the Navy), the United States became a more interventionist power. Renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War simply acknowledges the actual role the Department of Defense has played over the past 80 years.

Although Trump's move caused a storm, it itself is not legally binding. The official renaming of the Department of Defense still requires congressional approval, as the current name is still reflected in the law.

Trump seems indifferent to legislative constraints and focuses more on the symbolic and political significance of the move, while some of his allies in Congress are preparing the legislative basis for him. Chairman of the House Oversight Committee James Comer introduced a bill that would make it easier for the president to reorganize and rename government agencies. Other Republicans, such as Rick Scott and Mike Lee, have already introduced legislation to support this reform and try to provide legal guarantees for what they call the return of clarity and strength to the American national language.

The Role of Hegseth

President Trump's decision aligns with the views of Secretary of Defense Hegseth. Hegseth, in several books published before taking office, pointed out that the U.S. military institutions had fallen into the hands of leftist forces, abandoning their original spirit based on strength and constitutional loyalty, and instead supporting anti-American Marxist philosophies.

Subsequently, he called for "rebuilding the military" through rapid retaliation, removing senior military leaders, and appointing a new generation of leaders who could implement a colder, more aggressive approach.

Hegseth, who previously worked as a host on "Fox News," is known for his media and populist background. He firmly believes that to win wars, soldiers must be liberated from the constraints of international law and rules of engagement, allowing them to display their most savage and deadly side.

He stated, "I can write 5,000 words to elaborate on the philosophy of war, the stupidity of international law, and the complex rules of engagement... But if we send young people to war, we must make them display their most savage, merciless, and deadly side... Historically, the definition of land warfare lies in how many people you can kill at the same time and place, which limits the enemy's will and ability to fight."

This view is based on Hegseth's portrayal of the World War II generation as the great ultimate model and his addition that "History judges the greatest generation not based on their poetry, artistry, or cooking skills. Instead, they were given this title because they were heroes during World War II. They were great because they understood they were in a war, and losing meant annihilation. They killed the enemy. Two atomic bombs ended a war that could have lasted years and cost millions of American lives."

This background clearly shows that the name "Department of War" aligns with the Secretary of Defense's firm belief that cruelty and bloodshed are means to restore the global prestige of the U.S. military.

June 14, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Defense Hegseth (left) talks with U.S. President Trump during a parade (Reuters)

Why Does the Department of Defense Need to Change Its Name?

The history of the U.S. Department of War dates back to 1789, after the American Revolutionary War. At that time, the U.S. Congress established the Department of War, and then-President George Washington authorized it as the administrative department overseeing the young army of the newly born nation. For a century and a half, the Department of War was responsible for managing the Army (called the military in U.S. military literature), the Navy Department was responsible for commanding the Navy and Marine Corps, and the Air Force was under the Army.

Experience during World War II showed significant flaws in the U.S. military structure, with planning and coordination among the Army, Navy, and Air Force being extremely complicated.

To strengthen coordination, the U.S. established the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1942, composed of the Chief of Staff of the Army and senior commanders of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. However, this organization remained only a committee relying on voluntary cooperation and did not function as a unified institution capable of implementing strategic decisions.

Then-President Harry Truman, in a famous congressional speech in 1945, acknowledged that the lack of unified military command had imposed a heavy cost on the nation, including the failure to respond to the Pearl Harbor attack. Due to the fragmented command structure of the U.S., as well as differences in training, doctrine, communication systems, and supply and distribution systems, these issues undermined the operational unity of the troops.

Truman urged members of Congress to establish a more flexible and effective military institution, based on unified command and integration of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. He recommended that Congress pass legislation to merge the Army Department and the Navy Department into the Department of Defense.

These recommendations were incorporated into the U.S. National Security Act of 1947, which merged the newly established Army, Navy, and Air Force into one military institution, supervised by a single Secretary of Defense. Although the law initially called it the "National Military Establishment," the name was soon changed to the "Department of Defense" in 1949 to indicate its purpose of deterring enemies and assuring allies that the United States' goals were defensive, not to launch new wars.

At the time of this change, U.S. policymakers adopted a more comprehensive national security strategy aimed at establishing new institutions that aligned with the post-World War II era, such as the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council.

Strong Criticism

Looking back, Trump's decision sparked strong criticism from Democrats, who called it a political farce aimed at diverting attention from core defense issues.

They believe that renaming the Department of Defense will not enhance America's capabilities, strengthen its alliances, or weaken its adversaries. Currently, the U.S. faces complex challenges, such as modernizing its nuclear arsenal and maintaining deterrence against countries like China and Russia.

The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. (Reuters)

This move also caused widespread dissatisfaction among former Pentagon officials, who warned that modifying seals and signs for over 700,000 facilities in 40 countries would take a lot of time and effort.

Given that the Biden administration previously planned to spend nearly $390 million to rename nine military bases named after Confederate leaders, this contrast becomes even more evident – the cost of renaming the entire Department of Defense is expected to reach $1 billion.

This wave of criticism is not limited to within the United States. American allies also criticized it, for example, Walter Ludwig wrote in an article published by the Royal Institute of International Affairs in the UK: "The most dangerous aspect is that the new name sends an aggressive signal, worries allies, encourages adversaries, and allows other countries to portray the United States as a threat to global stability. American allies do not use the term 'Department of War,' such as the British Ministry of Defense, the French Ministry of Armed Forces, the Canadian Department of Defense, and the Australian Department of Defense. American adversaries also use the same terms, from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, the Russian Ministry of Defense, to the North Korean Ministry of National Defense and the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Logistics."

These terms reflect these countries' willingness to maintain the legitimacy of their deterrence, and they conform to the UN Charter – which has prohibited the use of war as a political tool since 1945.

Realistic Reinforcement of the New Name

Despite Trump repeatedly claiming to his voters that he "opposes war" and aims to end open conflicts from Gaza to Ukraine, his actual policies have been entirely the opposite.

Since the first few months of returning to the White House, his administration has participated in multiple combat operations, most notably the "Cavalry Charge" operation in Yemen – which lasted 53 days (from March 15 to May 6, 2025). The operation targeted the military infrastructure of the Houthi rebels, from warehouses, airports, to command and communication centers, and tried to eliminate its field commanders. This reveals a comprehensive offensive strategy that completely contradicts Trump's narrative of ending the war.

In addition, the U.S. launched the "Hammer of Midnight" operation against Iran – 125 U.S. military aircraft participated in this operation, including seven B-2 stealth bombers, targeting three major nuclear facilities in Iran: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.

Trump's areas of attack are not limited to the Middle East but extend to the Western Hemisphere. In August of this year, a U.S. naval task force was transferred to the South Caribbean Sea area, including three destroyers, a nuclear submarine, and an amphibious assault group with 4,500 personnel (including 2,500 marines). A few days later, Trump announced a "deadly strike" on a ship he claimed belonged to a drug trafficking organization led by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, resulting in 11 deaths.

These examples highlight a paradox: a president who promises to end wars while getting involved in military conflicts from Yemen, Iran, to the Caribbean Sea. After World War II, the name "Department of Defense" originated from the realization that a global security system based on deterrence and alliances was needed, while the revival of the name "Department of War" occurred in a completely different era: the United States is questioning the effectiveness of its alliances, prioritizing tariffs on its friends, and shouting "America First."

Ultimately, the controversy over renaming the "Department of Defense" to the "Department of War" reflects deeper conflicts within the United States about the concept of power and its role in the world. Trump supporters believe this change revives the spirit of "decisive victory" and sends a clear deterrent message; while his opponents see it as an expensive superficial gesture, reflecting Trump's aggressive tendencies and providing free propaganda material for his adversaries.

Between these two positions, the world is watching Trump's struggles both domestically and internationally, with its influence extending far beyond the borders of the United States.

Sources: Al Jazeera + Electronic Website

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7547540152323670591/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author and welcomes your opinion by clicking on the [top/bottom] button below.