Chris Kyle 1974-2013 Chris Kyle was born in Odessa, Texas on April 8, 1974. As a young man, he hunted deer and pheasant and rode bulls and broncos in rodeos. He studied ranch and range management at Tarleton State University before returning to ranching and then enlisting in the Navy. He joined the SEALs in 1999 and served four combat deployments before retiring in 2009. During his service, he earned a reputation as one of America's deadliest military snipers with 160 confirmed kills. Iraqi insurgents nicknamed him the Devil of Ramadi and put a bounty on his head. In 2008, he managed to kill an insurgent from about 2,100 yards away. During his service, he received the Purple Heart, two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars for Valor.

After retiring from the Navy, he ran Craft International, which provides military, law enforcement, and civilian training, as well as private security and protection. He also devoted much of his time to helping fellow soldiers overcome the traumas of war. In 2011, he created the Fitco Cares Foundation to provide veterans with exercise equipment and counseling. He believed that exercise and the camaraderie of fellow veterans could help former soldiers ease into civilian life.

His first book, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, written with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice was published in 2012. His second book, American Gun: A History of the U. S. in Ten Firearms, was released in 2013. In the summer of 2012, he appeared on the reality television show Stars Earn Stripes. He was killed along with Chad Littlefield on February 2, 2013 by Marine veteran Eddie Ray Routh at Rough Creek Lodge shooting range. The reason for the killing is unknown, but Routh is suffering from PTSD. Kyle was buried on February 12, 2013, at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas.

(Bowker Author Biography)