President Trump will sign an executive order Friday that revives “Department of War” as an official title for the Pentagon, according to a White House official. The move fits a wider “warrior ethos” campaign, long championed by Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

The order directs agencies to use “Department of War” as a secondary title alongside “Department of Defense,” and it authorizes the use of “secretary of war” to refer to Hegseth, per a White House fact sheet. It also instructs Hegseth to propose both legislative and executive steps to make the name permanent.

Implementation will go beyond paperwork. Public-facing websites and Pentagon signage will be updated, including renaming the press briefing room the “Pentagon War Annex,” a White House official said. Additional longer-term projects are already in the works to reinforce the new focus.

Trump previewed the shift in recent days by pointing to America’s winning tradition under the old name. “Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War,” Trump told reporters. “Then we changed it to Department of Defense.”

Hegseth has been just as direct. “We won WWI, and we won WWII, not with the Department of Defense, but with a War Department, with the Department of War,” he said on television. “As the president has said, we’re not just defense, we’re offense.”

“We’ve reestablished at the Department the warrior ethos. We want warriors, folks that understand how to exact lethality on the enemy,” he added. “We don’t want endless contingencies and just playing defense. We think words and names and titles matter. So, we’re working with the White House and the president on it. Stand by.”

The United States used the “Department of War” title until the late 1940s, when a postwar reorganization created the modern Department of Defense under the National Security Act. Trump’s order restores that historic framing while the Pentagon continues daily operations under existing law.

There is an open question about whether Congress must ultimately act to finalize a permanent change. Lawmakers establish executive departments by statute. Trump is confident he can lead with executive action and work with Congress as needed. “We’re just going to do it,” he told reporters. “I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t think we even need that.”

The White House says this is part of a larger military reset. In addition to the renaming effort, officials have outlined plans to raise standards and restore a combat-first culture in the ranks. The name update is meant to reinforce that mission every time Americans see a Pentagon seal or watch a briefing.

Friday’s order will also mark a milestone: it will be the 200th executive order of Trump’s second term. It follows a string of actions aimed at sharpening U.S. military posture, including plans to restore historic base names that were changed under the previous administration.

The changes inside the building will start quickly. The Pentagon’s public affairs hub will be rebranded as the War Annex, and digital platforms will be updated to reflect the Department of War designation alongside the Department of Defense. More visible updates will roll out as new signage and materials are produced.

Trump’s message is unmistakable: America wins when its military thinks and fights like a military. By restoring the historic name and the mindset that came with it, the administration is telling adversaries the era of drift is over. This is about strength, clarity, and victory—let’s back our commander in chief and keep America on offense.