Not sure I'd call Grenada, D.R, and Panama "major military operations" but your point stands.
Recently reading about England, they're not too far behind us in the number of military adventures around the globe, since WWII.
And what have we gotten from all these? I"d say a highly profitable defense contract sector and lower unemployment. Of course at the expense of infrastructure, public schools and environment protections.
We can get lower unemployment through green jobs and infrastructure work, too, but I guess that's socialism. He who controls the narrative controls the capital.