How much will it cost for the Department of War rebrand?
-
It would likely cost billions of dollars to change the names of hundreds of Pentagon agencies, their stationary, emblems, plaques and other signage at the Defense Department, along with bases around the world. The expense could put a serious dent into the administration’s efforts to slash Pentagon spending and waste.
Trump has brought up the change several times since taking office, including with allies during his press conference at the June NATO summit in The Hague. His push to change the agency’s name has only intensified.
“As Department of War, we won everything. We won everything,” Trump said last month, referencing the two world wars. “We’re going to have to go back to that.”
Hegseth, in a Wednesday interview on Fox News, echoed Trump’s line. “We won World War I, and we won World War II, not with the Department of Defense, but with a War Department, with the Department of War,” he said. “As the president has said, we’re not just defense, we’re offense.”
Trump has said he thinks Congress would go along with him. “Defense is too defensive,” he said last month. “And we want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too if we have to be. So, it just sounded to me like a better name.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/04/white-house-pentagon-department-of-war-00545673
I must be stupid. I thought we were trying to reduce the cost of government. And if you're going to spend billions, why not put it into something that will help the average person?
-
Pentagon officials grappled Friday with the Herculean task of fulfilling President Donald Trump’s executive order to remold the enormous, global agency into the Department of War.
Many expressed frustration, anger and downright confusion at the effort, which could cost billions of dollars for a cosmetic change that would do little to tackle the military’s most pressing challenges — such as countering a more aggressive alliance of authoritarian nations.The details of the order Trump signed Friday are still vague, but officials may need to change Defense Department seals on more than 700,000 facilities in 40 countries and all 50 states. This includes everything from letterhead for six military branches and dozens more agencies down to embossed napkins in chow halls, embroidered jackets for Senate-confirmed officials and the keychains and tchotchkes in the Pentagon store.
“This is purely for domestic political audiences,” said a former defense official. “Not only will this cost millions of dollars, it will have absolutely zero impact on Chinese or Russian calculations. Worse, it will be used by our enemies to portray the United States as warmongering and a threat to international stability.”
This article is based on interviews with more than half a dozen current and former defense officials, many of whom have insight into the broader sentiment in the department. The people were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue.
-
WaPo' Editorial Board defends the War Department name change:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/09/05/war-department-defense-trump-rebrand/
The main thrust of their argument seems to be that the new name will induce a much needed national introspection on what we really want our military to do (e.g., focusing on fighting wars instead of nation building overseas or policing at home a la D.C.).
-
As I said next door:
Honestly, don't we have something better to do? The only possible benefit I can see is sending a message to potential adversaries about the footing we see ourselves on. It's very similar to the NG in DC but is unlikely to have as much practical effect.
It rather reminds me of the Ohio legislature passing a bill outlawing declawing cats. I support that bill for the most part, but we have huge school funding problems that have been languishing for a couple decades now.
-
Tax cuts are in and there is no reason to save $ any more.
-
WaPo' Editorial Board defends the War Department name change:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/09/05/war-department-defense-trump-rebrand/
The main thrust of their argument seems to be that the new name will induce a much needed national introspection on what we really want our military to do (e.g., focusing on fighting wars instead of nation building overseas or policing at home a la D.C.).
@Axtremus said in How much will it cost for the Department of War rebrand?:
WaPo' Editorial Board defends the War Department name change:
The WaPo had really gotten bad these days. I don't disagree that introspection is needed, but not with the expense this is going to incur. There's no justification for that. None.
@Mik said in How much will it cost for the Department of War rebrand?:
Honestly, don't we have something better to do?
Exactly.
-
There is a theory of management out there that states the best course of action when your company isn’t doing well is to change the company name.
Seems legit.
-
@Daniel. said in How much will it cost for the Department of War rebrand?:
The Constitution says to provide for the common defense. It doesn't say to wage war.
Still, President George Washington created the “War Department” after the Constitution was ratified.
