This is more than a book launch.
It’s a conversation long overdue.
Battle Scars & Body Wars is a powerful blend of lived experience, leadership insight, and evidence-based education that exposes the hidden crisis of eating disorders within the military community.
Official Release: March 1st
Available on Amazon beginning March 1st
Pre-order now for exclusive launch benefits
Why Pre-Order Directly?
When you order here before March 1st, you receive:
✔️ A personally signed copy
✔️ A limited-edition collector’s item created exclusively for this launch
✔️ Early access to one of the most important conversations happening in military mental health
The collector’s item is only available during the pre-order window and will not be offered once the book is released on Amazon.
Who This Book Is For
What Readers Will Gain
This book challenges assumptions.
It equips leaders.
It validates those who have struggled quietly.
And it offers hope rooted in truth.
Be Part of the Launch
If this message matters to you, this is your opportunity to help amplify it from day one.
Thank you for helping shine a light where it’s been needed for far too long.
Written by Navy veteran and SEA WAVES founder Leah Stiles, Battle Scars & Body Wars pulls back the curtain on a hidden crisis impacting service members, veterans, and military families. Through lived experience, leadership insight, and evidence-informed education, this book explores how eating disorders take root in military cultureand what it truly takes to heal.
This is not just a memoir.
It’s a call to awareness, compassion, and change.
Whether you are a service member, leader, clinician, policymaker, family member, or ally, this book offers language, understanding, and tools that have long been missing from the conversation.
Leah Stiles is a retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer and the founder of SEA WAVES, the nation’s only Pentagon-approved nonprofit dedicated to addressing eating disorders in the military and veteran community. Her story is one of resilience, leadership, and hope—illuminating hidden struggles and sparking systemic change.
About Leah
After a 20-year career in military public affairs, Leah now leads national efforts to provide education, advocacy, prevention, and support through culturally informed resources, referrals, and access to care.
She has trained hundreds of professionals across the country and regularly consults with policymakers, veteran coalitions, and healthcare systems to expand access to treatment and reduce stigma. Her advocacy was instrumental in the passage of the SERVE Act, federal legislation that expands TRICARE eating disorder coverage and mandates leadership training across the Department of Defense. The SERVE Act recognizes eating disorders as both a health crisis and a readiness concern.
As a keynote speaker and systems-change advocate, Leah blends personal experience with policy expertise to address one of the most overlooked mental health crises in the military and veteran community.
She has presented at national platforms including the Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium, Service to Success Wellness Summit, and the Military Influencers Conference, and collaborates with thought leaders and clinical experts to close critical gaps in care.
Through SEA WAVES, Leah combines evidence-based education and deeply personal storytelling to break stigma and foster connection. The organization is listed in the Military OneSource and Wounded Warrior Project databases and serves active-duty service members, veterans, spouses, caregivers, and military children around the world.
She is also the author of the upcoming book Battle Scars & Body Wars: A Personal and Professional Journey Shining a Light on Eating Disorders in the Military.
Her message is clear: Eating disorder prevention is suicide prevention, and no one in our military community should have to face these battles alone. Need a light? Be a light.
Speaking Overview
Leah’s story is a lighthouse that breaks through the silence surrounding mental health struggles in the ranks. Her keynotes combine personal storytelling, military insight, and evidence-based education. Audiences leave inspired to act with compassion, courage, and connection.
“Silence is deadly, but healing is possible.” – Leah Stiles
Signature Topics
Shining a Light: Eating Disorders in the Military
Revealing the silent epidemic impacting service members, veterans, and families.
Leading Through the Storm: Educating and Equipping Leaders
Helping leadership recognize hidden struggles, dismantle stigma, and respond with compassion.
Navigating the Storm: A Journey from Darkness to Light
A personal story of turning pain into purpose and hope.
Education and Awareness: Eating Disorders, Suicide Risk, and Readiness
Challenging deadly myths, shifting culture, and saving lives through awareness.
Impact and Takeaways
When Leah speaks, audiences leave with:
Ideal Audiences
Recent Engagements
Publications and Projects
Speaking Formats:
Let’s bring this conversation to your community. Invite Leah to speak at your next conference, summit, or leadership event.
Contact Information:
Need a Light; Be a Light
“We all carry storms inside us. When we shine a light on them, others find their way too.”
— Leah Stiles