Dennis J. Call
Author & Speaker on War, Trauma, redemption, and the Long Road Home
Dennis J. Call is a former Army infantry officer, author of Nothing As It Seems, and a speaker who tells the truth about war, trauma, loss, and the slow work of healing. Drawing from his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the hidden battles that followed, Dennis is motivated by the suicide of his younger brother inviting audiences into honest conversations about suffering, healing, redemption, and what it means to walk with someone in pain.
Nothing As It Seems - Coming Soon to Amazon
ABOUT
DENNIS
Dennis J. Call is the author of Nothing As It Seems, a memoir exploring war, trauma, grief, redemption, and the long road toward healing.
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Dennis joined the United States Army and was commissioned as an infantry officer after graduating from Eastern New Mexico University with degrees in History and Biblical Studies. During his nearly fourteen years on active duty, he led soldiers in combat during three deployments in support of the Global War on Terror, serving with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq and the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan.
His military service included assignments as a rifle platoon leader, battalion mortar platoon leader, and rifle company commander. During his final deployment, he commanded Combat Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment in the birthplace of the Taliban near Kandahar, Afghanistan, where his unit suffered seven soldiers killed in action and forty-three wounded.
Immediately after his deployment to Afghanistan, Dennis was selected as an Army Congressional Fellow, earning a Master of Professional Studies in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University. He later served in the office of Senator Richard Burr and as a Congressional Liaison on the Army Staff at the Pentagon. He also holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Public Administration from Liberty University.
In 2017, Dennis transitioned to the U.S. Army Reserve where he spent the next seven years serving in a variety of leadership and staff assignments supporting the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve.
His awards include the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, two Valorous Unit Awards, and numerous others. His military qualifications include the Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Air Assault Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.
Following his military career, Dennis continued to serve others through his work at the Department of Veterans Affairs and as an elder at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Virginia. Dennis and his wife, Katie, married in 2000 and live in Fairfax Station, Virginia. Together they have five children; their oldest son is a United States Marine serving in California.
Through his writing and speaking, Dennis seeks to help others navigate trauma, loss, leadership, faith, and the challenges of life after war. His hope is simple: that those carrying unseen burdens would know they do not have to carry them alone.
Today, Dennis writes and speaks about war, trauma, grief, redemption, and the long road of recovery. His storytelling is:
Honest - No holding back. He communicates in a raw, courageous, and incredibly powerful way,
Unpretentious - the audience is transported to every location on the ground and in his mind,
Hopeful - not because everything is “fixed,” but because he’s seen healing begin in unexpected places.
Nothing as it Seems is his debut memoir.
NOTHING AS IT SEEMS
A MEMOIR
More than a combat memoir, Nothing As It Seems is a brutally honest, deeply human story that explores the cost of violence, the isolation of trauma, and the healing that becomes possible when people refuse to suffer alone.
If you’re a former service member or combat veteran who can’t put words to what you carried home, a spouse or family member trying to understand the war you didn’t see, or a reader drawn to honest stories of trauma and redemption, this book was written with you in mind.
Nothing As It Seems - Coming Soon to Amazon
Featured Stories
VIDEO:
CBS EVENING NEWS with SCOTT PELLEY
America’s Counter-Insurgency Strategy in Afghanistan
Tom Lasseter, “Order, Peace Elusive in Iraqi City of Samarra,” McClatchy DC, (February 15, 2006).
ARTICLES:
Laura Rauch, “Clear Goal, Risky Approach for Steel Lion 3,” Stars and Stripes (September 22, 2011).
Laura Rauch, “DOD identifies five U.S. troops killed in IED blast in Afghanistan,” Stars and Stripes (August 14, 2011).
Laura Rauch, “Memorial in Afghanistan stirs soldiers’ emotions as they grapple with combat deaths,” Stars and Stripes (August 20, 2011).
Dennis speaks to large and small groups, veterans’ gatherings, and community events about the realities of war, the isolation of trauma, and the hope that can emerge when we learn to carry pain together.
His talks are story-driven and encouraging in tone rooted in truth, grounded in lived experience, and deeply mindful of how fragile these topics can be. He does not offer easy answers or quick fixes. Instead, he creates space for honest reflection and points to redeeming the experiences we hide in the darkest corners of our lives.
Dennis has shared this story with U. S. Air Force Special Operations Teams at Canon AF Base, Army ROTC Cadets at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Virginia, where he has spoken on topics such as lament, the cost of violence, the hidden burdens veterans and families carry, and the call for communities to be present for those who suffer. His experience in that setting has shaped his desire to help individuals and groups to talk more openly and faithfully about trauma, mental health, and healing.
SPEAKING
ENGAGEMENTS
We train soldiers for the battlefield, but rarely for the battles that begin after they come home. Dennis led soldiers through some of the most violent battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. But the hardest battles were not always fought overseas. Dennis shares candid stories from his deployments and the years that followed—exploring moral injury, anger, numbness, and the slow unraveling that can happen in the shadows. He invites veterans, families, and communities to consider what it means to truly see and support those carrying invisible wounds.
The War After the War: Living with the Hidden Cost of Combat
Homecomings are often filled with hope that life will snap back to “normal.” But for many families, the hardest season begins after the welcome-home banners come down. Drawing from his own struggles as a husband, father, and brother, Dennis talks about the impact of trauma on family life, the “monster under the surface” he didn’t know was there, and how families can move from walking on eggshells to carrying the burden together.
When the Uniform Comes Off: War, Family, and the “Monster Under the Surface”
Those who have experienced violence often edit their stories to protect others from their pain. Over time, that protection turns to isolation. In this talk, Dennis explores why silence feels safer than honesty—for combat veterans and civilians alike—and how communities can gently invite engagement without demanding it. He shares how storytelling, confession, and shared lament become pathways toward healing, not just for individuals, but for entire communities.
Telling the Truth About Pain: Stories, Silence, and the Work of the Community
If you’d like to explore inviting Dennis to speak at your veterans’ group, retreat, or event, he’d be honored to talk with you.
Dennis is also available to be a podcast guest. Those requests can also be made through the Contact form below.
CONTACT
For speaking invitations, media/podcast inquiries, or questions, please use the form below. Dennis and his team will follow up with you as soon as possible.
