Bobby Henline

Bobby Henline is a retired SSgt in the United States Army and serves on the Board of Directors for Operation Homefront of Texas.

Bobby did four tours in Iraq and on his fourth tour was severely injured when his Humvee was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Henline was the sole survivor and lost 4 of his comrades in the explosion. Bobby was severely burned over 38% of his upper body. His burns were so severe that he did not have a skull for 18 months. Henline has undergone over 45 surgeries (skin grafts, amputation of his left hand, and reconstruction of his skull) and has numerous other surgeries planned for the future. Operation Homefront of Texas was able to assist Henline and his family with financial assistance and some home modifications while he was recuperating in San Antonio.

As a way to give back to his community, Henline joined the board of Directors at Operation Homefront of Texas and has presented numerous times on behalf of the organization. In addition, Henline is also a motivational speaker, comedian, and visits wounded warriors at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio on a weekly basis.

His passion is comedy and he performs at many events to fundraise for Operation Homefront of Texas and other non-profit organizations that support our military service members, their families, and wounded warriors. It took Henline some time, however, to get to the point that he could joke about his injuries. Henline states:

“There were days when I prayed I wouldn’t wake up. I felt like I was more of a burden to my family than if I died.”

But Henline is not a quitter. He uses his love of life to bring joy and smiles to the faces of many other wounded warriors who are struggling with their injuries.

In addition to his comedy, Henline also tours throughout the country visiting schools and community groups to speak about his injuries and how society can help the many heroes that come home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Henline is a compassionate man who is definitely a ‘giver.’ He is a Point of Light to so many wounded warriors and their families, to young students who are seeking a purpose in life, also to many who need a laugh through his comedy.

Henline addresses many community needs. Because of his injuries, he raises awareness about the ‘scars’ of war and how American patriots can continue to help and support our brave men and women in uniform. As he travels around the country as a motivational speaker, he shares his experiences (not only his scars) with many individuals, including students, to focus on a purpose in life.

As Bobby states, “I look at how many years I have left to do what I’m doing and I realize I’ll be able to help far more people than the terrorist who set off that bomb will ever be able to hurt. If I didn’t take advantage of this opportunity that’s been given to me, I’d be dishonoring the guys who died in that Humvee. There has to be a reason I survived.”