[Alas Babylon!]

Before there was a Defense Department there were two co-equal departments; the Department of War and the Department of the Navy.

Do you propose going back to those two, or are you proposing that the Defense Department be renamed the War Department, and the Navy kept under it?

[ASA Vet]

The War Department came into being in 1789. It was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army. It also bore responsibility for naval affairs until the establishment of the Navy Department in 1798.

September 18, 1947 the three separate departments, (Army, Air Force, Navy) joined together as the National Military Establishment (NME,) Which was renamed the United States Department of Defense in 1949.

Personally, I just like the sound, and innate meaning described in "The Department of War,". All military branches would be under it's cabinet level Secretary. The existing Departments of Army, Air Force, and Navy could be simply referred to by their branch, as in "War Department - Army Branch." The civilian in charge would be a War Department Undersecretary of their branch.

Years ago there was some talk of renaming the State Department as The Department of Peace. The thought process was to able to ask enemies which they'd rather have resolving our conflict with them.