How did the US try to contain communism using military methods?

Yes.

The United States attempted to stop the USSR from spreading communism by supplying armaments, financing, and military support to countries on the verge of falling into a communistic government. The Korean Police Action and Vietnamese Conflict were attempts at stopping communism from overtaking the countries of Korea and Vietnam. The United States aided Afghanistan in the ten year war against Russia, which was an effort in keeping communism out of the Middle East.