Operation Inherent Resolve is the official name assigned to the battle against the Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria by the U.S, which was originally proposed Oct. 3, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Department of Defense officials offered no explanation of its origin, or why it was initially rejected, but the name was officially announced Wednesday.

The name applies to the operations against ISIS (ISIL or the Islamic State), including airstrikes that began Aug. 8, the Washington Post reported. There has been no explanation about why it took more than two months for a name to be approved.

The lack of a name for the operation became a punchline across Washington and the U.S. military after President Barack Obama sent military advisers to Iraq in June.

A statement from the Pentagon explained the name was "intended to reflect the unwavering resolve and deep commitment of the U.S. and partner nations in the region and around the globe to eliminate the terrorist group ISIL and the threat they pose to Iraq, the region and the wider international community."

But defense officials initially thought it was a mundane name, the WSJ reported.

This was the reason why the creators of the operation's name, the U.S. Central Command in Florida, pushed for its acceptance.

They thought that a mundane name would be safe and unlikely to offend any member of the international coalition working with the U.S. to strike the extremist militants in Iraq and Syria.

Officials told the WSJ it also signified the use of "all available dimensions of national power necessary -- diplomatic, informational, military, economic."

Media reports have criticized the length of time taken to come up with the operation's name, especially in comparison to the current military efforts against the Ebola outbreak in Liberia.

That operation was named Operation United Assistance soon after hundreds of troops reached the West African country.