A new report estimates that rebranding the Department of Defense (DoD) to the “Department of War,” as President Donald Trump has , could cost taxpayers up to $125 million.
The report, released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Wednesday, estimates the cost of officially renaming the DoD if Congress passes the necessary legislation to do so, rather than if the Trump Administration makes the “Department of War” a secondary title for the agency. The office estimates that a “modest implementation of the order” would cost approximately $10 million, while a name change that “was implemented broadly and rapidly throughout the department” could have a price tag as high as $125 million.
However, the office said that these estimates are “uncertain because DoD has not provided information about how it plans to implement” this rebranding. And depending on how Congress and the DoD decide to implement an official name change, the move “could cost hundreds of millions of dollars,” the office said.
After the President issued an Executive Order in September directing that the department be renamed as the “Department of War,” Democrats Sen. Jeff Merkley and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer requested the report.
“I think it’s a much more appropriate name, especially considering the current state of the world,” Trump said at the time. “We have the strongest military in the world, we have the greatest equipment in the world … every aspect of the military we make the best, by far.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom the Trump Administration now refers to as the “Secretary of War,” said at the time of the signing that the department is “going to go on the offensive, not just focus on defense. Maximum lethality, not weak legal compliance. Violent impact, not political correctness.”
“This name change isn’t just about renaming; it’s about restoration,” Hegseth said. “Words matter … It’s about restoring the warrior spirit. Restoring victory and clarity as the end goal. Restoring purpose to the use of force.”
An official name change, though, would need to be approved by Congress. Until then, the “Department of War” will serve as a secondary title for the agency. Months after Trump signed the Executive Order, Congress has not taken up the matter.
According to the CBO report, costs associated with rebranding the DoD include the time that staff members would spend updating document templates, websites, and letterheads, instead of working on other tasks. Other costs include funds used for signs or ceremonial items. The costs also depend on “the speed and comprehensiveness” of a name change, the report says.
“For example, immediately replacing stationery, signage, and nameplates would cost more than replacing them as existing stocks run out or personnel changes occur,” the report says. “The faster the changes are implemented, the more parts of DoD they apply to, and the more thorough the renaming, the more expensive it will be.”
But the report says, “DoD declined to provide information on the scope, speed, and costs of its implementation plan. Therefore, CBO does not know the actual changes that DoD has made (or plans to make) or the costs it has incurred to date (or will incur) to implement the order. Not knowing what has been done so far or DoD’s full plans limits the comprehensiveness and accuracy of CBO’s estimate.”
The CBO was able to obtain a report shared with Congress that lists $1.9 million in renaming costs spent by five Office of the Secretary of Defense organizations, including for flags, plaques, identification badges, and training materials. But the CBO points out that this is not a complete list of the renaming costs incurred by the DoD as a whole, and so is likely an underestimate.
