[metaphorm]

speculating because I have not spoken to a publicity offer at the Pentagon.

They view popular suppport of military actions as an important strategic objective because they require congressional support for their procurement budgets, and executive support (capitulation to?) for their planned operations. War is political and they do this kind of thing to manage the politics of war.

The immediate followup question then becomes: why does the Pentagon view bragging about weapons as effective for gathering political support for their wars?

I can't say that I have a clear notion of why they believe this. Perhaps because it plays to the pornographic nature of the mainstream media in the U.S., which enthusiastically embraces spectacles of violence. Perhaps because they are correct to believe that a majority of Americans are stimulated by war porn. The media certainly believes that. They get the ratings. Or perhaps you're right and its less sophisticated than I am imagining. Maybe the Pentagon really does think it's a kind of accomplishment worth bragging about.