Kit Up Exclusive: American Sniper Chris Kyle
I did a post on my fellow team guy Chris Kyle's upcoming book "American Sniper". For those of you who don't know Chris, he's the most accomplished (from a confirmed kill point of view) US military sniper of all time. We spoke on the phone last weekend to get caught up, and it's good to see he's doing so well with his new training company.
Below is a Kit Up exclusive, and is the first of two interviews with Chris Kyle. I'm working on a live interview first part of January when his book comes out. If you guys have specific questions you want me to ask please post under comments. You can see by Chris's answers that he is a great guy and focused on some good messaging. His book is available to order now on amazon, just click here. To learn more about the Navy SEAL sniper program click here.
Long range Urban Sniper ops with the 300 winmag.
1. What inspired you to write American Sniper?
I wanted people to be aware of the sacrifices, not only the service member makes, but their family as they deploy. My wife has a huge part in the book describing what she went through, and how it affected her.
Ryan Job and Marc Lee died heroes, but their stories are not known. I wanted to get their story out there.
I knew writing this book would allow me a voice to be able to draw attention to the fact that men and women are currently in harm’s way fighting for this country. We should never forget them, and when they come home, we should do everything we can to help them. If they don’t come home, it is our duty to help their family. This is where the charities I am involved with come in. Both of these charities are a small way to give back, but I am always looking for new, and better ways to give back.
2. I've heard rumors about you whacking two dudes in Texas that tried to hold you up. Any truth to this or is it RUMINT?
I was involved in an attempted car-jacking, where they left me no other recourse but to use lethal force.
3. I'm sure there are a lot LE/Military that would love to hear about your training company. What kind of courses are you offering these days?
Craft International. For the LE/Military, we offer all tactical training. I have surrounded myself with outstanding people from all branches. I want to ensure when training conventional forces, they do not perceive any egos from us, so they will be taught by someone who speaks their lingo, knows the equipment, and their mission. A spec-ops member will be present, because I do believe it is huge to integrate all facets of the wheel. Just as when we train LE, there will be a member of the military present to give lessons learned., but the course will be taught by a LE officer. In the civilian market, we train people in weapons safety, accuracy, self defense (armed or unarmed), and corporate retreats. We are not just a training company, we are also widely employed in the security arena. We have anti-piracy and protection contracts in place around the world. We even do things as simple as personal protection for high risk individuals.
Kit Up: Chris Kyle Iraq
4. What message could you pass on to the Military.com Kit Up community about your time serving in the Teams?
My time in the teams has shown me that everyone has to be fully trained and engaged in the fight. From the private all the way to the staff sergeant. From the conventional forces to the spec-ops teams. We are all in the fight together, and the egos need to be put aside for better integration. Some of the best deployments were when we were attached to a conventional unit. We fought side by side, no egos, and proved to them that we were here to help them.
I am also a huge advocate for the vets. I am currently starting my own charity named Task Force Legacy. It is designed to take the vets on hunts, fishing, shooting, and just drinking trips. Also, this charity was formed so we could give the money raised to other organizations that are doing the right thing. I am also a board member on Fitco Cares the Heroes Project. This charity puts gyms in the vets homes who are in need of getting themselves into shape, but don’t want to go to a gym. If we get the body right, it’s easier for the mind to follow.
Kit Up Joint Ops in target rich Iraq
