Chris Kyle

Who was Chris Kyle?

Christopher Scott "Chris" Kyle was a United States Navy SEAL who claimed in his autobiography to be the most lethal sniper in American military history with 160 "confirmed" kills out of 255 claimed kills. This statistic, however, is unofficial and has not been corroborated or confirmed by the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Special Operations Command, or the United States Navy.

Kyle served four tours in the second Iraq conflict and was awarded the 4th highest commendation awarded for acts of heroism, acts of merit, and/or meritorious service in a combat zone. He holds two Silver Stars, five bronze stars with valor, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and one Marine Corps Commendation. He was also awarded the Grateful Nation Award by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. Iraqi insurgents dubbed him the "Devil of Ramadi" and offered a bounty for his head. He was shot twice, and was involved in six IED attacks.

Kyle was honorably discharged from the US Navy in 2009. He remained in the spotlight after leaving the Navy and wrote a New York Times bestselling autobiography, American Sniper.