Blogging About Communication

The Department of Defense. The Department of War. The Department of Peace. Secretary of Defense. Secretary of War. Secretary of Peace. How do the changes in wording affect what the words represent? What do the changes in terminology signal?

Implications of Changes in Terminology

President Trump wanted to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War. However, doing so would have required Congressional action. He decided instead to issue an executive order authorizing The Department of War as a secondary name in order to underscore the department’s military preparedness and strength rather than represent its defensive capabilities. The order also allows Pete Hegseth, the current Secretary of Defense, to refer to himself as the Secretary of War in public correspondence and communications.

Words are Symbols, Nothing More, Nothing Less

Words are symbols. We use them to represent or stand for things. By mutual consent, we can make any combination of letters stand for anything. The word is not the thing. Words are connected to things only through the thoughts they evoke in people. To the extent that our thoughts overlap, we are able to communicate. While “the thing” (in this case, the actual Department, remains unchanged, the thoughts people have about the Department may change depending on the words chosen to represent it. People, not words, make meaning.

The Potential Significance of Rhetorical Shifts

How are your thoughts about the Department and its leader affected as the words used to brand the Department morph from Defense, to War, to Peace? Each rebranding represents a rhetorical shift, contributing to adjustments in thoughts and potentially policies as well. If thinking makes it so, then perceiving the United States as on a war footing as opposed to a defensive or peace footing could cause the image people form of the U.S. military to be a more aggressive one, possibly threatening international stability.

Action Plan

Which of the three terms best represents “winning” in your mind: Department of Defense, Department of War, or Department of Peace? Are wars the only thing to be won? Can you not win the peace? Devise a plan for ensuring that shifts in branding or labeling don’t cause you to register an unconscious shift in your attitude. Make it your goal to focus not on the label, but on what the label really represents.