03/31/2026
Veterans in action! We salute you Casey Henry!
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On November 24, 2025, Casey Henry, the assistant ladies' basketball coach at Bentonville West High School made a trip with his student-athletes for what he expected to be a routine game.
In the second quarter, a West player landed a nice three-pointer and started the defensive shuffle down the court.
“As we moved down the court, I noticed one of our players looking toward the far baseline, holding her face in her hands and appearing distressed. I looked in the same direction and saw an official lying face down on the floor,” Coach Henry narrated.
Coach Henry didn’t think. He reacted just as he had many times before.
“I served as a Combat Medic in the United States Army for eight years,” Coach shared.
“During my active duty, I was assigned to the prestigious 10th Mountain Division, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1-32 Infantry Battalion, based at Fort Drum, New York,” he added.
That service took him far from New York to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His job: to care for his fellow service men and women in a region ravaged by war.
Years later, he was called to act again. Not on a battlefield but the hardwood.
“After telling an administrator to call 911, I checked the official’s airway, breathing and circulation while a trainer and a nurse conducted similar assessments.”
Coach Henry recalled seeing an AED when he arrived at the high school arena and urged a trainer to grab it.
An on-site nurse began CPR until a bystander handed Coach Henry the charged AED paddles, which he quickly placed. After the shock, a pulse. It was weak, but it was all they needed. EMTs arrived and took over the lifesaving care that Casey and others had begun.
While in the military, Coach Casey Henry received several awards, badges and honors, but they pale in comparison to the news that a patient is going to live. That high school referee survived his ordeal. Doctors discovered a 99% blockage in his heart. He received a stent, monitor and a renewed chance at life.
“My training, combined with the coordinated efforts and training of others involved, played a significant role in the successful resuscitation of the official,” Coach Henry said.
“While every emergency presents unique challenges, I have complete confidence in the medical training provided by the United States Army, which I believe to be among the best in the world. I’m grateful we were in the right place at the right time.”
The right place, the right time and the right person. People willing to go the Extra Mile, whether on the battlefield, the hardwood or in the classroom. Congratulations, Coach Henry! Thank you for going the Extra Mile!
