It is a much more suitable name, especially considering where the world is right now, says Trump during a press conference in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday.
Trump simultaneously calls the previous name "woke".
Defense Minister Pete Hegseth emphasizes that it is not just a name change, but also a change of course for the US military forces.
The Department of War is to fight with determination, not wage endless conflicts. It is to fight to win, not to not lose. We will go on the offensive, not just defensive, says Hegseth and continues:
Maximum lethality, not lukewarm legality. Violent effect, not politically correct. We will breed warriors, not just defenders.
The name will initially be a "secondary designation" since it requires a congress-approved law change to officially change the name.
The order urges the use of the new name and that Pete Hegseth be addressed as Minister of War.
The name is a return to the department's first name, which was changed to the Department of Defense in 1949.
