Dept of Defense or Dept of War?

[Ben]

I've been supportive of most of what Pete has been doing, but this was probably a bad poll for him to send out, IMO. I'm not on X, so can't see the poll results, but there seem to be plenty of "war" supporters in the Twitchy comments.

I like to think of us as a country that doesn't start fights, we just finish them (even though we don't have a great track record lately). DOD for me, regardless of it previously being DOW. Even the Klingons call theirs the Klingon Defense Force.


https://twitchy.com/warren-squire/2025/03/21/pete-hegseth-poll-department-of-war-or-department-of-defense-n2410251

[Perd Hapley]

Didn't the DoW have a better win/loss record?

[K Frame]

It was the War Department from 1789 to 1947.

[WLJ]

Even the Klingons call theirs the Klingon Defense Force.

They also often have a habit of charging with Bat'leths people armed with phasers. Just saying
Anyhow
Stay with DOD

[Angel Eyes]

Two thoughts:

1) "Department of War" is the more accurate title, given that department's actions post-1947.

2) There are more important matters to focus on, such as eliminating waste and fraud from the DOD's budget and improving our preparedness for the next war.

[Hawkmoon]

I've been supportive of most of what Pete has been doing, but this was probably a bad poll for him to send out, IMO. I'm not on X, so can't see the poll results, but there seem to be plenty of "war" supporters in the Twitchy comments.

I like to think of us as a country that doesn't start fights, we just finish them (even though we don't have a great track record lately). DOD for me, regardless of it previously being DOW. Even the Klingons call theirs the Klingon Defense Force.


https://twitchy.com/warren-squire/2025/03/21/pete-hegseth-poll-department-of-war-or-department-of-defense-n2410251

The problem with calling the War Department the Department of Defense -- when they fight everywhere in the world except here in the U.S. -- is that since the .gov changed the name to the Department of Defense they also created this monster called the Department of Homeland Security. That sounds to me a lot like two agencies with severely overlapping responsibilities. I think the current DoD should go back to being the War Department, and the Department of Homeland Security (if we can't just disband it) should be named the Department of Defense.

[T.O.M.]

Seems to me that at a time when .gov is being slashed left and right to save tax dollars that it makes no sense to spend a ton of money to change it from Defense to War.  He'll, I'm even hearing from other West Point grads that there are rumors of Elon's team looking into combining the three military academies into on Officer Academy in Colorado Springs and selling off West Point and Annapolis to developers.

[dogmush]

^^^^

I think he'd have a hard time getting that done. Elon is not the only person whispering in Trump's ear, and the academies,  and the services they feed, are more different then most civilians realize,  and for good reasons.

[K Frame]

Seems to me that at a time when .gov is being slashed left and right to save tax dollars that it makes no sense to spend a ton of money to change it from Defense to War.  He'll, I'm even hearing from other West Point grads that there are rumors of Elon's team looking into combining the three military academies into on Officer Academy in Colorado Springs and selling off West Point and Annapolis to developers.

Ever hear of the "Revolt of the Admirals"? Interesting historical reading.

I suspect if Muskytrump tried to pull that *expletive deleted*it there would be a multi-service mutiny.

[Northwoods]

Seems to me that at a time when .gov is being slashed left and right to save tax dollars that it makes no sense to spend a ton of money to change it from Defense to War.  He'll, I'm even hearing from other West Point grads that there are rumors of Elon's team looking into combining the three military academies into on Officer Academy in Colorado Springs and selling off West Point and Annapolis to developers.

I'm on the Service Academy Forum (for applicants and their parents).  Maybe I missed a thread to that rumor, but i haven't seen anything like that on there.

WP, Navy and AF academies each have ~4000 cadets/mids.  Coast Guard and Merchant Marine academies ~1000 each.  Even leaving the 2 smaller academies out, one combined Academy would have 12k cadets.  The way the operate, with all cadets in one dorm building, and all eating simultaneously in one big cafeteria, is unwieldy as it is split into 3 academies, and would be a logistical nightmare if combined into 1.

Never mind the history of each academy, the particular needs of each service, different cultures, etc, and the roundoff error level of cost savings wouldn't be worthwhile.

[T.O.M.]

Northwoods, I heard it directly from a USMA grad who is someone I would consider connected enough to believe.  He said it was a rumor, so even he put a hint of doubt into it.

That said, I can see someone looking at academy grounds as purely assets looking at Annapolis and West Point as being real estate gold mines.  But I also agree with you, the needs of the Academies are different.  Can't really train sailors (except SEALs) in Colorado Springs.  I know there has been whispers of eliminating the Academies entirely to be replaced by ROTC and OCS, as the Academies are expensive. Might be some of that.  (FYI... Cadets at West Point have several different barracks buildings, not the single dorms like Annapolis. But everyone eats together in Washington Hall for most meals).

[Northwoods]

T.O.M. - I have zero doubt about your source hearing that rumor.

I'm sure the campuses at WP and Annapolis would be worth a lot to most normal people's way of thinking.  They might be able to sold for, I dunno, $300k per acre?  Assuming that lofty price could be achieved, the Naval academy would be worth $165mil.  West Point $4.8bil.  Call it $5bil combined, and that's a huge premium based on acreage, and if sold to developers they'd tear down most buildings. Maybe they're worth more given the development already done, but probably not much.

But even at $5bil, and remember that's a 1-time revenue bump, you can only sell it once, that's a round off error in the federal budget, even at 100x times that it's still borderline meaningless in the context of $36tril in national debt, and $2t annual deficits.

[Bogie]

I'd keep it DOD to avoid having to change all the references to it.

[WLJ]

DOW
Scrubbing bubbles or the people who bomb people?

[Northwoods]

FWIW, at the service academy forum nobody else had heard that rumor T.O.M. mentioned when I asked.  Given they're more tied into current events with .mil and especially service academy issues I'd say whoever T.O.M. was talking was not getting solid information.

[Ron]

Go back to Department of War.

We shouldn't obfuscate the break things and kill people nature of the department, even though we are already engaged in waging 5th generation warfare everywhere.

[Ben]

Well, regardless of what it's called, effective today, Hegseth is signing a memorandum requiring that everyone in a combat arms MOS has to meet the exact same standard, whether male or female.

https://twitchy.com/justmindy/2025/03/31/military-same-standards-for-all-men-women-hegseth-n2410742

[WLJ]

Well, regardless of what it's called, effective today, Hegseth is signing a memorandum requiring that everyone in a combat arms MOS has to meet the exact same standard, whether male or female.

https://twitchy.com/justmindy/2025/03/31/military-same-standards-for-all-men-women-hegseth-n2410742

Good.
You don't get extra bonus point for having more women in combat.

[dogmush]

Good.
You don't get extra bonus point for having more women in combat.

Depending on the length of the war you could get extra bonus soldiers though.