Christopher Scott Kyle was an American soldier and author. As SEAL Team 3 Chief he was awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, and numerous other citations. Following four combat tours in Iraq, he became the chief instructor for training Naval Special Warfare sniper teams. He is the author of American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms. Kyle was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2009 and published the aforementioned bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, in 2012. An eponymous film adaptation of Kyle's book, directed by Clint Eastwood, was released two years later. A native Texan, Kyle is survived by his wife, Taya, and their two children.
