Topline
The Trump administration’s renaming of the Department of Defense to the “Department of War” could cost as much as $125 million, the Congressional Budget Office said in a Wednesday report, providing an estimate of the cost months after President Donald Trump said the change “just sounded to me better.”
The CBO report was published Wednesday.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Key Facts
The report said a name change would cost about $10 million for a “modest implementation” that primarily occurred within the Office of the Secretary of Defense and did not include a broad effort to overhaul the name across all military assets.
The costs would “probably be paid from existing budgets,” the report said, noting the CBO’s estimate is uncertain because the Department of Defense has yet to decide how it plans to implement the renaming executive order Trump signed last year.
The name change could cost a few million dollars if a “minimal implementation” is made, the CBO added, though the total could reach as high as $125 million in the case of a broad and rapid name change.
Examples of costs include staff time spent updating document templates, website revisions, letterhead changes, new signage and ceremonial items, according to the CBO, with costs depending on how aggressive the Department of Defense implemented its secondary title and “how it prioritized renaming activities over other ongoing missions.”
Forbes has reached out to the Department of Defense for comment.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
Crucial Quote
“A statutory renaming could cost hundreds of millions of dollars depending on how Congress and DoD chose to implement the change,” the report said.
Key Background
The Department of Defense is the legal name of the “Department of War,” which can only become the agency’s official name through legislation, since Trump lacks the power to change the name on his own. The Department of Defense has yet to send to Trump the legislative and executive actions needed to make the change official, according to the CBO. Trump said last year the name change was “much more appropriate” and “just sounded to me better.” The Trump administration has made a habit of renaming military assets and bases. Prior to his role as secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth blasted Biden-era name changes away from Confederate figures. Hegseth announced name changes to multiple military bases last year, naming them after World War I and World War II soldiers with the same names as Confederate leaders to circumvent a law banning Confederate naming of U.S. military assets. Hegseth also ordered gay rights activist Harvey Milk’s name to be stricken from a Navy ship. Milk was a Navy veteran and one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S.
Further Reading
Hegseth Orders Name Of Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk Stricken From Navy Ship (Forbes)
Hegseth Renames Fort Moore Back To Fort Benning—Latest Rollback Of Military Base Name Changes (Forbes)
Defense Secretary Hegseth Renames Fort Liberty To Fort Bragg—But Not After The Confederate General (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/01/14/department-of-defenses-name-change-to-department-of-war-could-cost-up-to-125-million/
