The Righteous Cause

A Review: US Military Interventions (1986-2026)

Posted on by Dennis Robbins

The United States has engaged in dozens of military interventions abroad over the last four decades, spanning counterterrorism, regime change, humanitarian efforts, and great power competition, often without formal congressional declarations of war. These actions reflect a shift from Cold War proxy conflicts to post-9/11 wars on terror and recent escalations under President Trump’s second term. Below is a chronological bullet-point documentation of major operations, focusing on direct combat, invasions, airstrikes, or significant deployments into foreign sovereign territory.wikipedia+3​

  • 1986: Libya (Operation El Dorado Canyon) – US airstrikes targeted Muammar Gaddafi’s compounds in Tripoli and Benghazi in retaliation for the Berlin disco bombing; killed ~40, including civilians, escalating anti-terror campaign.wikipedia​

  • 1983/1989: Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury) & Panama (Operation Just Cause) – Invasion of Grenada ousted leftist regime after coup; Panama saw 27,000 troops depose Noriega amid drug trafficking charges, both showcasing Reagan-era interventionism.archive.globalpolicy​

  • 1990-1991: Iraq/Kuwait (Gulf War/Desert Storm) – Coalition led by US expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait; ~100 hours of ground war followed a massive air campaign, enforcing UN resolutions but leaving Saddam in power.archive.globalpolicy​

  • 1992-1994: Somalia (Operation Restore Hope) – UN-backed humanitarian intervention devolved into Battle of Mogadishu; 18 US deaths prompted withdrawal, highlighting limits of nation-building.wikipedia+1​

  • 1994-1995: Haiti (Operation Uphold Democracy) – Marines restored President Aristide after the coup; brief occupation stabilized politics but fueled long-term instability.archive.globalpolicy​

  • 1995/1999: Bosnia/Kosovo (NATO Operations Deliberate Force/Allied Force) – Air campaigns halted ethnic cleansing; Kosovo bombing forced Milosevic’s retreat, marking US-led NATO expansion in Europe.archive.globalpolicy​

  • 1998: Afghanistan/Sudan (Operation Infinite Reach) – Cruise missiles hit al-Qaeda camps and pharma plant post-embassy bombings; first overt preemptive strikes on non-state actors.wikipedia​

  • 2001-2021: Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) – Invasion toppled Taliban post-9/11; longest US war cost $2T, 2,400+ American lives, ended in chaotic withdrawal and Taliban resurgence.wikipedia+1​

  • 2003-2011: Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) – Invasion ousted Saddam on WMD claims (later debunked); insurgency killed 4,400+ US troops, led to ISIS rise.archive.globalpolicy+1​

  • 2011: Libya (Odyssey Dawn) – NATO airstrikes aided rebels against Gaddafi; power vacuum spawned militias, migration crises.wikipedia​

  • 2014-present: Iraq/Syria (Operation Inherent Resolve) – Airstrikes, special ops vs ISIS; ongoing with 900 US troops in Syria, strikes in 2025 hit 70+ targets.washingtonexaminer+1​

  • 2015-present: Yemen/Somalia (Drone campaigns) – Strikes vs AQAP, al-Shabaab, Houthis; 2025’s Operation Rough Rider hit 1,000+ Houthi targets after Red Sea attacks.washingtonexaminer+1​

  • 2017 Niger & Sahel (OEF-Trans Sahara) – Special forces ambushed, 4 US deaths; drone bases built, full withdrawal by 2024 amid coups.wikipedia​

  • 2025: Yemen (Operation Rough Rider/Midnight Hammer) – High-intensity strikes on Houthis, then Iran’s nuclear sites (Fordow, Natanz) with B-2 bombers, Tomahawks; ceasefire followed.news.usni+1​

  • 2025: Caribbean/Latin America (Operation Southern Spear) – Boat strikes killed 100+ alleged drug smugglers; tanker seizures near Venezuela signal pressure on Maduro regime.washingtonexaminer​

  • Ongoing: Syria/Iraq/Africa – 2025 saw 80+ ops detaining 23 terrorists; Somalia strikes resumed Feb 2025 under Trump surge.militarytimes+1​

These interventions, totaling over 250 post-1991 per CRS data, often prioritized short-term security over long-term stability, costing trillions and eroding global goodwill. Recent Trump-era actions emphasize kinetic force against cartels, Iran, and terrorists.towardfreedom+2

Sources:​

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_interventions_by_the_United_States
  2. https://archive.globalpolicy.org/us-westward-expansion/26024-us-interventions.html
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_military_operations
  4. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense/3912191/where-us-military-carried-out-operations-2025/
  5. https://news.usni.org/2026/01/02/top-stories-2025-operations-in-the-middle-east-u-s-southern-command
  6. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2025/12/31/a-year-of-strikes-us-military-operations-surge-under-trump/
  7. https://towardfreedom.org/story/archives/americas/u-s-launched-251-military-interventions-since-1991-and-469-since-1798/
  8. https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/09/13/us-251-military-interventions-1991/
  9. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R42738
  10. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-has-long-history-of-overseas-military-operations/1742529.html
  11. https://www.npr.org/2026/01/02/nx-s1-5652133/us-venezuela-interventionism-caribbean-latin-america-history-trump
  12. https://mronline.org/2022/09/16/u-s-launched-251-military-interventions-since-1991-and-469-since-1798/
  13. https://lanekenworthy.net/us-military-intervention-abroad/
  14. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/military/etc/cron.html
  15. https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/i/use-of-armed-forces-abroad-1798-2004.html
  16. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RS21405
  17. https://libguides.fdlp.gov/military-history-american-conflicts-and-wars/military-conflicts-since-1975
  18. https://media.defense.gov/2023/Mar/13/2003178168/-1/-1/1/DOD-STRATEGIC-MGMT-PLAN-2023.PDF
  19. https://www.cfr.org/article/congress-approves-2026-us-defense-bill
  20. https://ifc.usafa.edu/articles/institute-of-future-conflict-2026-threat-horizon-report
  21. https://countercurrents.org/2024/10/why-us-military-interventions-abroad-increased-at-a-time-when-risks-decreased-and-is-policy-change-overdue/
  22. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2296/text
  23. https://globalaffairs.org/commentary/blogs/us-sending-more-troops-middle-east-where-world-are-us-military-deployed
  24. https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Final-State-USAID-FY-2022-2026-Joint-Strategic-Plan_29MAR2022.pdf
  25. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deployments_of_the_United_States_military_forces_overseas
  26. https://now.tufts.edu/2023/10/16/us-foreign-policy-increasingly-relies-military-interventions
  27. https://www.crisisgroup.org/united-states/009-bending-guardrails-us-war-powers-after-7-october
  28. https://usafacts.org/articles/where-are-us-military-members-stationed-and-why/
  29. https://peoplesdispatch.org/2025/11/14/a-brief-overview-of-us-military-interventions-in-the-americas/

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