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As U.S. forces carry out strikes abroad and policymakers prepare to release a new national defense strategy, the Trump administration has chosen to revive a name not heard in Washington since 1947: the Department of War.

Friday's executive order has opened a debate over whether words shape policy, or whether the symbolism matters less than the capabilities behind them.

Supporters argue the shift restores honesty to the Pentagon’s identity, acknowledging that America’s armed forces have long been engaged in conflicts that stretch beyond "defense." Critics counter that the change risks glorifying war, unsettling allies and giving adversaries new propaganda lines at a sensitive moment in global security.

Secretary of War Pe

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