Episode
#128 Being fearless | Finding yourself | Fighting wildfires | Battling addiction - Woman Veteran Journey
- Podcast
- Military Retirement Podcast
- Published
- Jun 1, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5279
- Processing state
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Summary
John is joined by army veteran and author Kate Marsh, author of Between the Light and Me. Kate speaks candidly about the naive expectations of entering and exiting the service, navigating impulsive behaviors, and her journey from low-ranking enlisted garrison life to finding her true purpose. We dive into a heavy, honest breakdown of the dark realities veterans face but rarely discuss openly, including grappling with addictions, binging to oblivion, hitting a post-service pit of despair, and finding long-term recovery and sobriety. Kate opens up about her battles with an eating disorder (bulimia) while on active duty, exposing the toxic intersection of military body standards, public weigh-ins, and the moral conflation of physical perfection with combat readiness. Connect with Kate Marsh and share your feedback on her Substack kathleenkillcup.substack.com. Her memoir, Between the Light and Me (published by HereBelowBooks.com), is available for pre-order now and hits shelves on October 8th! Timestamps: [00:01:45] The 12-Month Countdown: Navigating early university acceptance release programs and the mental countdown to separation. [00:02:40] Confronting the naive expectation that "greener pastures" instantly await you outside the military gates. [00:04:13] Gladiator and signing up right before September 11th. [00:04:54] Learning to Suffer Well: How a month-long mountaineering Outwardbound course in the Colorado back country shattered self-indulgence. [00:05:43] Literary Role Models: Finding moral fiber and stoic mental models in Ernest Hemingway and Marcus Aurelius. [00:07:07] Fighting fires: Training as a wildland firefighter and connecting with the BLM and Forest Service under age 29. [00:07:45] The school of self-denial: Detaching from impulsive thinking and challeng…