Renaming Pentagon to Department of War Could Cost Up to $2 Billion, NBC Reports

Overview

• NBC News, citing six sources, reports the overall implementation could reach about $2 billion, including roughly $1 billion to replace signs, letterhead and other physical materials.
• Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell says the department is actively carrying out the directive but has not set a final estimate.
• A major expense would be rewriting software and digital code across internal and external websites and both classified and unclassified systems.
• The renaming requires authorization by Congress, and Parnell indicated the cost assessment remains open, with Ukrainian reporting attributing the delay to a government shutdown.
• A YouGov poll published in early October found 72% of Americans prefer the current Department of Defense name, and historically the Department of War existed until 1947 with the Defense name adopted in 1949.