Rebranding Pentagon: $52 million plan heads to Congress for approval

The Pentagon has formally requested congressional approval to codify its rebranding as the “Department of War,” estimating the change will cost taxpayers approximately $52 million, according to Fox News.

The department’s estimate is significantly lower than a January projection by the Congressional Budget Office, which warned the rebranding could cost as much as $125 million if implemented “broadly and rapidly” across the entire department.

According to the Pentagon, the change — which also includes renaming the Secretary of Defence as the Secretary of War — would not have a “significant impact” on President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2027 defence budget request. Officials said most of the implementation costs are being absorbed during the current 2026 fiscal year. The department added that “actual costs are being collected during implementation and will be available” once the fiscal year’s execution of the name change is complete.

In its legislative proposal, the Pentagon outlined how the estimated $52 million would be allocated. Approximately $44.6 million would go toward Defence Agencies and field activities, $3.5 million to the military departments, $3 million to the Office of Secretary Pete Hegseth and Washington Headquarters Services, and about $400,000 to the Joint Staff, Combatant Commands, and the National Guard Bureau.

“The revision to the designation of the Department serves as a fundamental reminder of the importance and reverence of our core mission, to fight and win wars,” the proposal states. “It serves as a strategic objective in which to measure and prioritise all activities.”

If approved, the rebranding would require roughly 7,600 changes to federal law. The Pentagon has already begun implementing the shift in practice, updating its website and social media accounts. Hegseth’s office door nameplate has also been changed to read “Secretary of War.”

The move follows an executive order signed by Trump in the fall directing the Department of Defence to be renamed the Department of War. The decision sparked criticism, though some anti-war advocates argued the new name more accurately reflects what they view as an administration inclined toward military action.

Former Representative Justin Amash, a Republican who later became a Libertarian, wrote on X in September that “the name change really does help highlight how rogue, unconstitutional, and unlawful the president’s actions are.”

However, some Republican allies of Trump in Congress have expressed support for formalising the change. Representative Greg Steube of Florida and Senator Mike Lee of Utah have introduced legislation in their respective chambers aimed at codifying the rebranding.

Democrats, meanwhile, have sharply criticised the proposal as lawmakers begin work on the fiscal 2027 defence policy bill. Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington wrote on X: “The American people can’t afford groceries, gas, or rent — and the Pentagon has ALREADY wasted $50 million on renaming the Department of Defence to the Department of War. Now they want more money.”

The Department of War was originally established in 1789 under President George Washington. It was replaced in 1947 by the National Military Establishment, which was subsequently redesignated as the Department of Defence in 1949.

By Tamilla Hasanova