Lexicon · Organization

Department of War

The Department of War was the name of the United States war ministry from 1789 to 1947. Since September 2025, under an executive order, it has been used as a secondary name for the Department of Defense.

The Department of War (war department) was established in the United States in 1789, and its first head was Henry Knox. Its main task was directing the land army; from 1798, naval affairs were handled by a separate department. The National Security Act of 1947 split the war department into the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force, which, together with the Department of the Navy, formed an organization called the National Military Establishment. This was renamed the Department of Defense in 1949.

Return of the name

On September 5, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14347 (“Restoring the United States Department of War”). It allows the name Department of War to be used as a secondary name for the Department of Defense in non-statutory communications, and the title Secretary of War to be used by the secretary of defense. According to the order, the name set in law can only be changed by amending the law, so it directs the secretary to propose the necessary legislative steps.

Legal status

The department's statutory name remains Department of Defense. On July 22, 2026, the House of Representatives passed the 2027 defense authorization act (NDAA) by a vote of 216–212, which also includes the official renaming of the department. The Senate Armed Services Committee also backed the renaming in June 2026. According to the latest available information (September 2026), the law has not yet taken effect.

According to a January 2026 estimate by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the renaming could cost between 10 and 125 million dollars. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the goal is to raise warriors, not just defenders. Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley said the move is the worst form of performative governance and does nothing for national security.

Connection to the UFO/UAP topic

The department includes the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which investigates unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). AARO's 2024 historical report found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology.

Sources

  1. Senate committee backs Department of War name change (Military Times, 2026. június 11.)
  2. House approves ‘Department of War’ renaming in annual defense bill (AOL, 2026. július 23.)
  3. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (Wikipédia)
  4. AARO Historical Record Report Volume 1 (2024)

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