The US spends most of its defense budget on:

* training, civilian salaries (where most veterans find jobs)

* maintenance of existing "toys" (aka money injected into local manufacturing, cleaning, painting, etc)

* Enlisted pay, benefits, housing

Then we get to procurement and R&D (which is just guaranteeing a job to people who finish college)

The whole active navy and world policing is just a side benefit.

https://www.pgpf.org/article/budget-explainer-national-defen...