President Donald Trump is rebranding the Defense Department as the Department of War — a name used when it had more limited responsibilities for US Army forces rather than the entire military.

The Defense Department was established after World War II by an act of Congress, meaning that Trump likely lacks the authority to unilaterally change its official name.

To avoid that issue, the White House said the president is authorizing the use of the new label as a “secondary title” by his administration.

Here is a look at key facts about the history of the departments overseeing the United States military.

– More than 200 years old –

The War Department was established in August 1789 to oversee the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps, according to an official Pentagon history web page.

A little

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