However, there are some historical contexts in which we can observe that the military has sought to conduct operations based on the opportunity for financial efficiency. This is an approach which is generally more feasible during times of relative peace, meaning that the prospects for a more cost-effective effort than a full-scale war may be available. As Collinge and Ayers indicate, this is a condition which is often deeply political in nature, denoting the military policy and military spending are often shaped by party affiliation. Thus, we can see that in instances where we have been at general peace but have been required to maintain military presence, some measure of efficiency is commanded by the highest levels. One such instance may describe U.S. policy toward Iraq in the years leading up to this most recent conflict. In over a decade, which passed between the two Iraq wars, the policy of sanctions and...

This would entail the use of a modest encampment of American and U.N. personnel placed their for preventative measures. This approach would prove effective in preventing Iraq's functioning as a danger to its region and would also defray the modest const of containment amongst international parties.
By contrast, the war against Iraq under the helm of President Bush would prove a dramatically less efficient way of approaching the so-called 'rogue nation.' Using full scale military invasion and failing to defray properly the costs amongst numerous participants, the U.S. began a war which to day continues to sap massive financial and manpower resources from the United States.

Works Cited:

Collinge, R.A. & Ayers, R.M. (2003). Economics by Design, Survey & Issues. Prentice Hall.