On September 5, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order which revived the original name for the Department of Defense, “The Department of War.” While technically the name remains the Department of Defense for legal purposes (as only an act of Congress can officially change the name), the Trump administration has done everything else in its power to rebrand the institution in this regard, claiming the original name is “woke” and that the change ensures the Department’s “ability to wage war and secure what is ours.”
This name change became part of a long and ever-growing list of controversial actions undertaken by Trump during his second term as President. But for members of Gen Z, in a way, the return to the original name is a return to transparency: war is all we have ever known.
The United States was born in war, and has been engaged in conflicts with other nations for virtually its entire existence. It has become a pillar of the American ethos, the willingness to fight for the virtues of democracy and liberty. This ethos encouraged millions of American men and women to volunteer in the World Wars, and later the Global War on Terror (GWOT). The …read more
Source:: Ron Paul Institute
