Overview

• An executive order permits use of the 'Department of War' label in executive communications and designates Pete Hegseth as 'Secretary of War.'
• Pentagon personnel report frustration and confusion over a largely symbolic shift that officials say could require changing seals, signage and stationery across hundreds of thousands of sites.
• Reporting cites internal estimates that rebranding could reach into the billions of dollars, including updates at more than 700,000 facilities worldwide.
• Lawmakers are split, with Republicans introducing legislation to formalize the name change and Democrats denouncing the effort as misguided.
• Analysts and former officials say the move functions as domestic political messaging and risks giving adversaries propaganda, with concerns heightened by recent U.S. strikes in Iran and a deadly naval incident involving a Venezuelan vessel.