The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing President Donald Trump's executive order to change Defense Department to War Department could cost between a few million dollars and as much as $125 million, depending on how broadly the Pentagon carries out the shift.
In a cost assessment released Wednesday, the CBO said an implementation of the order — largely confined to the Office of the Secretary of Defense — would likely cost $10 million.
Those expenses would most likely be absorbed within Defense Department budgets by delaying or scaling back other activities rather than requiring new appropriations.
Trump issued an executive order four months ago authorizing the use of Department of War as a secondary title for the Pentagon.
Lawmakers subsequently asked the CBO to evaluate not only the cost of implementing the executive order, but also the expense of a full statutory renaming through congressional legislation.
According to the CBO, the overall cost remains uncertain, because the Defense Department has not detailed how it intends to implement the directive.
A minimal, phased-in approach — such as limited changes to signage, letterhead, and internal material — would likely keep costs in the low millions.
A broader, faster rollout across military branches, agencies, sites, information systems, and public-facing material could drive costs as high as $125 million, the agency said.
The CBO also warned that a formal statutory renaming could be far more expensive. Depending on how Congress and the Pentagon chose to carry out such a change, costs could reach hundreds of millions of dollars, reflecting the need to update regulations, contracts, digital systems, uniforms, infrastructure signage, and legal references throughout the federal government.
"Costs would depend heavily on the scope and speed of implementation," the CBO wrote, emphasizing that no final estimate can be made without detailed guidance from the Defense Department.
The executive order does not abolish the Department of Defense name, which has been in place since 1949, but allows Department of War to be used as another designation. Any permanent renaming would require congressional approval.
The cost estimate arrives as lawmakers debate the symbolism and fiscal impact of the proposed change.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.