Battle Scars and Body Wars: Navy Veteran Leah Stiles on Healing, Eating Disorders, and Life After Service
Summary:
In this episode of Dog Tag Diaries, host Captain Kim welcomes back Navy veteran, advocate, and author Leah Stiles.
Leah first appeared on the podcast sharing her journey through military service and life beyond the uniform. Since that conversation, she has transformed many of those experiences into a powerful memoir, Battle Scars & Body Wars.
In this conversation, Leah reflects on the emotional process of writing the book and what it meant to revisit some of the most defining moments of her life. She also shares the deeply moving experience of launching the book surrounded by family, shipmates, mentors, and friends from every chapter of her story.
Her Albany book launch quickly sold out, with readers purchasing multiple copies to share the message and celebrate the courage it takes to speak openly about life after service.
This episode explores the invisible battles many veterans carry and the healing that can begin when those stories are finally told.
At the heart of Leah’s message is a simple but powerful idea. If you need a light, be a light.
In this episode, we cover:
- Leah’s early childhood experiences with homelessness, foster care, and instability
- Why she joined the Navy in search of structure, family, and purpose
- How eating disorders can be hidden and made worse in military culture
- What led her to write Battle Scars and Body Wars, finally
- How memory loss after retirement pushed her to begin recording her story
- Why she turned the book into both a personal story and a resource guide
- Writing for service members, leaders, clinicians, families, and parents
- The fear, doubt, and imposter syndrome she faced while publishing the book
- How community support helped strengthen the medical and research side of her work
- Her emotional return to Albany and visit with youth at a treatment facility
- The sold-out book launch and what it meant to feel truly seen
- Her message, “Need a light, be a light,” and how purpose can grow from pain
- Practical advice for people struggling with food, body image, and shame
- Why no one should have to heal alone
Notable Quotes & Moments:
- “There comes a moment when silence becomes heavier than the truth.” [00:12:08]
- “I wrote this book because I survived and because too many others did not.” [00:12:46]
- “I’ve always wondered what my purpose was.” [00:21:10]
- “When you are in the dark, it means your story doesn’t end there.” [00:22:26]
- “You deserve support.” [00:34:22]
Timestamps:
- 00:01:09 - Leah Stiles returns to Dog Tag Diaries and shares what she has been working on
- 00:04:07 - Her childhood, search for structure, and why she joined the Navy
- 00:04:53 - Hiding an eating disorder during recruitment and service
- 00:06:58 - The first real push to write her story into a book
- 00:07:32 - Memory loss after retirement and how it led her to document her life
- 00:09:02 - Building each chapter with research, stories, and support resources
- 00:10:20 - Writing the book for leaders, providers, families, and those struggling
- 00:11:44 - Leah reads a powerful excerpt from Battle Scars and Body Wars
- 00:15:20 - Fear, self-doubt, delays, and launching the book anyway
- 00:17:49 - Becoming an Amazon bestseller and hearing from readers who felt seen
- 00:21:02 - Leah reflects on purpose, pain, and becoming a light for others
- 00:25:34 - Why she chose Albany for the launch and her visit with youth at Northern Rivers
- 00:29:31 - A sold-out event, emotional response, and community support
- 00:33:56 - Leah’s advice for anyone struggling with eating disorders
- 00:36:50 - Why healing begins with one trusted person and one small step
Leah Stiles is a Navy veteran, advocate, nonprofit founder, and now author of Battle Scars and Body Wars: A Personal and Professional Journey Shining a Light on Eating Disorders in the Military. She is the founder of SeaWaves, a nonprofit that supports veterans and others affected by eating disorders, and she has become a strong voice for honest conversations around service, trauma, identity, and healing.
Through her writing, public speaking, and advocacy, Leah is helping others understand that eating disorders do not always look the way people expect, and that support should never be out of reach. Her story is a moving reminder that survival can lead to purpose, and that sharing the truth can help someone else stay here.
Connect with Leah:
Grab a copy of her book: https://a.co/d/0aqYkYfh
Be sure to follow or subscribe to Dog Tag Diaries wherever you listen to podcasts.
Learn more about the Reveille and Retreat Project:
Instagram: @reveilleandretreatproject
Facebook: Reveille and Retreat Project
You aren’t alone.
If you’re thinking about hurting yourself or having thoughts of suicide, contact the Veteran crisis line: Dial 988 then press 1, chat online, or text 838255.
