I'm sure only a chosen few troops can even bullshit themselves that their doing hero's work

I don't know. I think many really do believe this. They also have, from their perspective, evidence they can point to of humanitarian aid delivered by the military.

That said, I agree with you, there is a lot of mental illness and PTSD going on. Once the "war is honorable!" narrative collapsed, cognitive dissonance has been kicking it hard.