(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Friday to restore the name “Department of War” for the Defense Department.
According to a fact sheet released by the White House, the name will be a secondary title for the agency. Officials will be able to use titles such as secretary of war instead of secretary of defense.
The order also calls on the secretary of war to recommend legislative actions to permanently rename the department to the “Department of War.”
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Republicans are already taking action towards a name change. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., and Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, have all introduced legislation that would permanently rechristen the agency.
“The United States military is not a purely defensive force. We are the most lethal fighting force on the face of the planet — ready to defeat any enemy when called upon. Restoring the name to Department of War reflects our true purpose: to dominate wars, not merely respond after being provoked. President Trump has made it clear that our nation will pursue Peace Through Strength — and we will always stand ready to defend our freedoms,” Scott said.
The renaming is a step back to the historic name for the department when it was established in 1789, not long after the end of the Revolutionary War.
The agency became the Department of Defense in 1949, consolidating several military and national security departments. The new name also reflected expanded duties that included national security and reflected a posture that put more importance on avoiding war at a time when the nuclear arms race was beginning.
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Trump has said the name carries more weight in terms of readiness than the Defense Department.
Although he campaigned on staying out of global conflicts, Trump has also endorsed a peace through strength strategy. His administration has taken more offensive military actions, including a strike on Iran and the stationing of warships off the coast of Venezuela.
