The Department of Defense: Call It What It Is — The Department of War

If the United States of America goes to war, everyone in the world should know that we are not interested in “police actions,” “low intensity conflicts,” or even “peacekeeping.” Our military is a lethal weapon that should be rarely unsheathed, but when it is, it is to devastating effect. Quite simply, the United States Armed Forces aren’t there to start or simply participate in a fight . . . they’re there to finish it.

The blurring of this line — whether it be through our vernacular or written reference — allows for the creation of slippery slopes that ultimately lead to American involvement that lack a clear direction, public support, and worse any tangible defense for the sacrifices of our military personnel.

Allow me to be blunt: America has hidden behind a euphemism — a house built of straw and sticks — for more than seventy years. In 1949, misguided politicians in Washington, D.C. replaced the proud and direct “Department of War” with the sanitized and focus group-tested “Department of Defense.” This change wasn’t simply a cosmetic one; it was a calculated neutering of our military’s image in order to soften our nation’s posture in the early years of the Cold War. But, if we have learned anything over the course of the last twelve years, words matter and the words we choose broadcast our intentions to the entire world.

Don’t take my word for it, just look at history to prove my point.

When Sir Winston Churchill rallied Britain against Nazi Germany, he didn’t speak of “conflict management” or “armed disputes” — he called it war, and his candor steeled a nation for sacrifice. President Abraham Lincoln didn’t issue the “Conciliation Proclamation,” he signed the Emancipation Proclamation — a single word that changed the course of human freedom. You don’t even need to look further than our own daily lives to realize that we understand the weight of language: a doctor saying, “you’re sick” is very different than “you’re dying.”

Words signal urgency, purpose, and truth and there was no one better at it than President Ronald Reagan. When he called the Soviet Union an “Evil Empire,” it wasn’t him being diplomatic . . . it was him being honest. That honesty rattled Moscow more than any euphemism a faceless, nameless bureaucrat created ever could have.

America does not deter China, Russia, Iran, or terrorists by pretending our military only exists to “defend” us. The men and women who don a uniform of the United States Armed Forces don’t do so to play patty-cake or to hold hands, but to be the most lethal fighting force in human history meant to fight and win wars. Period. Full stop.

Calling the branch of our federal government that is charged with overseeing these brave and patriotic individuals the Department of War is not warmongering . . . it’s honesty. It tells our enemies that we mean business and that we’re not going to bluff or blush when it comes time to put rubber to pavement, boots on the ground, or jets in the sky. It reminds our allies that our security guarantees are backed by spines of steel, not spin. It tells the American people the truth: that war is ugly, but sometimes necessary.

Do not let anyone tell you that clarity is provocation . . . it is deterrence. A nation that speaks clearly, honestly, and without regret about war is less likely to stumble into one by accident.

Guess what? Our troops know this simple truth.

The United States Marines who stormed Fallujah, the United States Army Rangers who cleared caves in Afghanistan, the United States Navy sailors who shadow Chinese destroyers in the South China Sea — they understand they are not “defending” in the abstract sense of the word. They understand that they are waging war, often preemptively, so that it never reaches our shores, our cities, or our neighborhoods.

General James “Mad Dog” Mattis once told Iraqi tribal leaders: “I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But, I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: if you f—with me, I’ll kill you all.”

That is what war waged by the United States of America is and should always be in its clearest form — an offer of peace coupled with the certainty of destruction if rejected. Our leaders shouldn’t pretend otherwise with euphemisms or gilded talk. Renaming the Department of Defense back to the Department of War would send a signal to our warfighters, our allies, our enemies, and our citizens. We will not back down. We will not lose. We will not let up. This small change strips away all pretense and ends word games valued by politicians that do not want to necessarily reassert America’s strength. These individuals are hesitant not because they want to see America lose, but because they are incapable of candor, courage, or capability themselves . . . so how could they possibly support it elsewhere?

The United States of America wins not by hiding behind euphemisms, but by facing reality. Our military already operates with eyes wide open, why don’t we support their sacrifice with the honesty it deserves. This simple change matters because, as always, we are being watched and judged. Let’s give those audiences what they need: our enemies the clarity they fear and our allies the certainty they rely on. All thanks to those who operate under the banner of the Department of War.