Department of War (formerly Department of Defense)
| Department of War (formerly Department of Defense) | |
|
[ IMAGE PLACEHOLDER ]
agency seal, illustrative placeholder | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Parent department | Executive Branch Cabinet department |
| Established | 1947 (as Department of Defense) |
| Status | Active (renamed 2025) |
| Status | Active |
The Department of War is the U.S. Cabinet department responsible for the armed forces and, through AARO, for the government’s primary UAP investigative office. It was known as the Department of Defense from its creation in 1947 until a September 2025 executive order signed by President Trump restored the older ‘Department of War’ name, used by the department’s predecessor from 1789 to 1947.
The 2025 renaming
The rename was initially implemented as a secondary title alongside the legal name ‘Department of Defense,’ with officials, including Secretary Pete Hegseth, subsequently using ‘Department of War’ in official correspondence; a full legal renaming would require congressional action, and cost estimates for signage, documentation, and systems changes have been estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Role in UAP policy
The department oversees AARO’s budget and mandate and receives its reporting; oversight correspondence addressed to the department, including a March 2026 congressional letter regarding UAP intercepts, has used the new departmental name.
[1]See also
References
- ^ Trump, D. J. Executive order renaming the Department of Defense, September 5, 2025.
- ^ “Trump changes the Department of Defense’s name to ‘Department of War’.” Al Jazeera, September 5, 2025.
- ^ Congressional Budget Office, cost estimate for Department of War rebranding, 2025.