Why did Reagan decide to build up the United States military even though the US was not in any military conflict around the world?

Odom argued that some of the money in the Reagan military buildup was "squandered" on too many Navy ships and too much research and development on stealth technology. And he faulted the Air Force for taking over ballistic missile defense and cutting back on some of the Army's promising missile defense programs.

Explanation:

During Reagan's years in office the Cold War began to thaw and the Middle East started to heat up.