To be sure, this was a show of force but that is the media's spin on this.  More importantly for  the military it is a 
 vital training exercise/drill  for a future possible real attack/mission.  The US will need to conduct more such  training/drills and should do both announced and others done in secret.  Titus Flavious Josephus, a well known
Jewish historian reported on the importance of drills for the Roman legion who like the US military reigned
supreme in its day.  He described the Roman legion's drills as bloodless battles, their battles, bloody drills.