A legislative proposal sent to Congress by the Department of War estimates the cost of officially changing the name from the Department of Defense to the Department of War at nearly $52 million.
Most of the required spending is tied to changes across agencies and internal systems. The 92-page proposal breaks down costs as follows: approximately $3.5 million for military departments; $3 million for the Office of the Secretary of War and Washington Headquarters Services; $400,000 for the Joint Staff, Combatant Commands, and National Guard Bureau; and $44.6 million for defense agencies and field activities.
The document states that changes have already begun and that final cost figures will be available after fiscal year 2026 implementation is completed. It includes a statement: “The revision to the designation of the Department serves as a fundamental reminder of the importance and reverence of our core mission, to fight and win wars,” it adds. “It serves as a strategic objective in which to measure and prioritize all activities.”
The proposal would require detailed updates across federal law, replacing references to the Department of Defense and secretary of defense with Department of War and secretary of war. It estimates roughly 7,600 statutory changes across multiple sections of U.S. Code, along with updates to agency names, internal offices, and long-standing acronyms.
The document also includes a provision stating that any existing reference to the Department of Defense in law, regulation, or official records would automatically be interpreted as referring to the Department of War.
The legislative package combines the renaming effort with a set of defense policy proposals, including workforce authorities, depot maintenance funding changes, and equipment modification rules.
Plans stem from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in September. The proposal states that the change would not have a significant impact on the fiscal 2027 defense budget.
The Congressional Budget Office previously estimated the cost could reach as high as $125 million, depending on how the transition is carried out.
Legislation to formalize the change has been introduced by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., in the House and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, in the Senate.
The department has already begun implementing the shift, including updates to official websites, social media accounts, and signage, such as the office nameplate for War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
