Opinion: Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell Says Congress Should Write the 'Department of War' Name Into Law

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's top public affairs official, writes in a Fox News opinion piece that Congress should finish what Trump started and make "Department of War" the legal name.

His argument. Parnell, who led an infantry platoon in the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, says the name states the mission "from the very top: our military exists to fight and win the nation's wars." He calls the change a restoration, noting the War Department was established in 1789 and became the Department of Defense in 1949. "Clarity strengthens alliances. Ambiguity invites adversaries to test them," he writes, and he quotes Washington's line that to be prepared for war "is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."

The ask. He says the president acted by executive order and that "now Congress must finish the job." According to Parnell, the House and the Senate Armed Services Committee have both backed restoring the name in this year's defense bill, and lawmakers should keep it in the final version.

The critics. He acknowledges those who call the change symbolic or unnecessary and says they have it "backward," since words define the mission. He adds that a name alone does not make a military stronger and the department must earn it daily. He points to Hegseth's Fortress America effort, which aims to let bases run on their own power, communications and supplies, as one test.

His closing point. Parnell writes that the aim is "lasting peace," backed by a force whose ability to prevail is beyond question.

Note for readers: this is an opinion column by an official who is a senior adviser to Secretary Pete Hegseth, so it is the department's own case, not an outside review. The claim about committee support in the defense bill is Parnell's, and we did not check the bill text. We covered Fortress America and Hegseth's defense procurement push.