Nigeria, Sept. 5 -- President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Defense to adopt the secondary title "Department of War", reviving the name that the agency held until 1949.

The move, announced Friday by the White House, allows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to refer to himself as "Secretary of War" in official communications and ceremonies. Hegseth confirmed the change on X, posting the words "DEPARTMENT OF WAR" without further comment.

Why Trump Made the Change Mr. Trump had floated the idea in June, saying the post-World War II name change to "Department of Defense" was made to sound "politically correct."

"Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department ...