The Pentagon’s web site and social media channels have been overhauled Friday at President Donald Trump’s behest to replicate america Protection Division’s new “Division of Battle” persona, shifting from Protection.gov to Battle.gov—a symbolic rebranding that highlights the administration’s desire for projecting power by the language of warfare reasonably than the idiom of protection.
Trump on Friday signed an government order directing the Pentagon to as soon as once more be named the so-called Division of Battle, reviving a reputation retired after World Battle II to mark America’s flip to deterrence because the precept bulwark in opposition to nuclear annihilation.
At an Oval Workplace ceremony, Trump mentioned the change was about perspective, declaring, “It’s actually about profitable.”
“We received the First World Battle, we received the Second World Battle, we received all the things earlier than that and in between,” Trump mentioned through the order’s signing. “After which we determined to go woke and we modified the identify to the Division of Protection.”
The order authorizes protection secretary Pete Hegseth and different officers to make use of titles akin to “secretary of warfare” in official correspondence, although Trump additionally instructed Hegseth to advocate steps wanted to make the change everlasting.
“We’re going to go on offense, not simply on protection. Most lethality, not tepid legality. Violent impact, not politically appropriate,” Hegseth mentioned throughout Friday’s signing ceremony. “We’re going to lift up warriors, not simply defenders.”
Each prior identify change—from the Battle Division created by Congress in 1789, to the Nationwide Army Institution in 1947, to the Division of Protection in 1949—got here by laws. Allies in Congress rapidly launched a invoice to again Friday’s change to the so-called Division of Battle, however the administration seems to be in search of a workaround anyway, because it has accomplished up to now, whether or not by invoking sweeping emergency powers or withholding congressionally authorised overseas support. At the moment, “Division of Battle” is a “secondary” title after the Division of Protection.
Inside hours of Trump’s order, Pentagon officers rebranded the division’s social media platforms. The Division of Protection’s official Fb, Instagram, and X accounts quietly rolled out the “Division of Battle” identify and seal, adopting labels at odds with its authorized identification.
As of round 6 pm ET on Friday, the new Division of Battle web page nonetheless lists all of the division’s different social channels and its web site as utilizing the “Protection” identify, as did its YouTube channel.
How far the rebranding may go is unclear, however any complete effort would saddle taxpayers with prices within the a whole lot of hundreds of thousands, if not billions, of {dollars}, as each signal, brand, uniform, pc system, and piece of official paperwork tied to the Pentagon’s identification throughout the globe would have to be changed.
A previous effort to advocate modifications at army installations commemorating the Confederacy carried a projected value of $39 million and lined solely 9 bases. The Protection Division’s actual property portfolio spans a whole lot of 1000’s of services, from main bases to small outposts worldwide.
