Overview

• Pentagon communications and select branding now reference the secondary title, but the department’s statutory name remains Department of Defense.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cast the shift as a move toward a more offensive, "warrior" posture and briefly tripped between DOD and "DOW" during an Oval Office remark.
• News reports estimate rebranding costs could reach up to $1 billion to update signage and seals across Defense facilities.
• Reporting from the southern Caribbean describes recent U.S. strikes on speedboats that killed multiple people, with officials asserting drug ties and no public evidence provided to date, and a planned classified briefing on one strike was canceled.
• Commentary is divided, with critics calling the change performative and supporters saying the label could refocus the military on combat and strengthen deterrence.