Trump Signs Order to Rename Department of Defense as the Department of War

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Sept 5 to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, reverting to a title it held until after World War II, when officials sought to emphasize the Pentagon's role in preventing conflict.

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His move represented his latest effort to rebrand the US military, which has included his decision to preside over an extraordinary military parade in downtown Washington and to restore the original names of military bases that were changed after racial justice protests in 2020.

He has also challenged conventional norms over domestic deployment of the US armed forces, creating military zones along the southern US border with Mexico to aid an immigration crackdown, as well as deploying troops in cities like Los Angeles and Washington. The Pentagon moved swiftly to change signs at the US military's five-sided headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, switching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's title on his door to Secretary of War and the title of his No. 2, Mr Steve Feinberg, to Deputy Secretary of War.

"It's a very important change, because it's an attitude," Mr Trump said as he signed the executive order at a ceremony in the Oval Office. "It's really about winning."