Christopher Scott Kyle (April 8, 1974 – February 2, 2013) was a United States Navy SEAL sniper. He served four tours in the Iraq War and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat. He had over 150 kills. He was awarded the Silver Star, four Bronze Star Medals with "V" devices, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and numerous other unit and personal awards. Additionally, he received the Grateful Nation Award, given by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs.

Kyle was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2009 and published his bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, in 2012. An eponymous film adaptation of Kyle's book, directed by Clint Eastwood, was released two years later.

Following his combat deployments, he became chief instructor for training Naval Special Warfare Sniper and Counter-Sniper teams, and he authored the Naval Special Warfare Sniper Doctrine, the first Navy SEAL sniper manual.

A native Texan, he served as president of Craft International (www.craftintl.com), a world-class leader in training and security, while devoting much of his spare time to helping disabled veterans.

Chief Kyle is survived by his wife and their two children.