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Dibbert, Taylor. “Book Review: American Sniper.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 27 Apr. 2015, www.huffpost.com/entry/book-review-american-snip_b_6753216.

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Chris Kyle grew up in Texas where he learned the traditional values of himself and the importance of family.
"Mine starts in north-central Texas. I grew up in small towns where I learned the importance of family and traditional values, like patriotism, self-reliance, and watching out for your family and neighbors." pg.8

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Kyle graduated high school in 1992 and went to Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX.
"...After I graduated high school in 1992 and started going to college at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. pg.15

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Because Kyle ran out of money from partying in college, he decided to look for a job. He acquired his first job as a lumberyard delivery person. Though that didn't last long when he became a ranch hand.
"I ran through my money pretty quick so I started looking for work after school. I found a job in a lumberyard as a delivery guy... One day a fellow came in and started talking to me... so I became a ranch hand." pg.17

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Working as a ranch hand, Chris worked for David Landrum on a 10,000 acre ranch in Hood County, Texas. His boss was a strict one since anytime his employee did something wrong, he'd chew out Kyle. Though, Chris used it as motivation to prove his boss wrong; that he in fact, could do it.
"Anytime I messed up, my boss would let me know. Right away he'd cuss me out, tell me I was a worthless piece of shit... In my mind, I thought, I'm better than that and I'll show you." pg.20

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In 1996, he made his way to the recruiting office. He initially went to the Marine door, but they were out at lunch. Then an army guy came over, he suggested Chris could become a ranger. When he left to think about it, A navy guy came and told him if he's ever heard of SEALs. After a description of what it includes, he signed up, wanting to become one. However, when they called him back, they said they couldn't take him due to the pins in his arm from a previous rodeo accident.
"The Navy disqualified me when my physical revealed that I had pins in my arm from the rodeo accident." pg.23

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DISQUALIFICATIONS

There are a number of reasons one may be unable to join the Navy. Even if you can't serve, there are many other ways to help the American people.

MEDICAL

Some medical conditions may disqualify you from serving in the Navy:

Contagious diseases that would endanger the health of other personnel

Conditions or defects that require excessive time lost for necessary treatment or hospitalization

Conditions demanding geographical area limitations

Conditions aggravated by the performance of required duties and/or training

If you have a specific medical condition and are not sure whether it disqualifies you, contact your local recruiter.

CRIMINAL

If you have been convicted of a felony as an adult or a juvenile for offenses involving violence, domestic violence, illegal drugs, or sexual misconduct, you will be disqualified from serving in the Navy.

DRUGS & ALCOHOL

The Navy has a zero-tolerance policy for drug use and alcohol abuse. Dependency on illegal drugs or history of drug use or alcohol abuse can disqualify you from service.

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Requirements to Join the Navy | Navy.com

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There are a number of reasons one may be unable to join the Navy. Even if you can't serve, there are many other ways to help the American people.

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Because he didn't get into the military, Chris focused his career on becoming a cowboy and working on a ranch. He quit going to college even though he was nearly 60 credits away from graduating. David, his boss, doubled his pay. Although that didn't stop him from moving to Colorado in 1997/98.  Due to the cold, he called up his old boss and he welcomed him back to Texas.
"Eventually, just before the winter of 1997-98, I found my way out to Colorado... It wasn't long until I called up David and asked if he needed some help." pg.24

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Since moving out to Colorado, Chris ended up packing up to go back to Texas. It was too cold and he took the job sight-unseen. When he got there, he regretted it, so he called David hoping to come back home. As soon as he was getting ready to leave, the Navy called, wanting to recruit him. They said that Chris didn't need to worry about the pins in his arm, and that he should come in right away. He didn't hesitate.
"I started to pack... before I finished making arrangements to move, I got a phone call from a Navy recruiter... 'we want you,' said the recruiter." pg.24

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Chris Kyle joined the Navy and began his beginner training in 1999. He complained at first to his Dad and to himself that basic training was lame. It wasn't the challenge he was hoping for and it was so much easier than ranch work. Boot camp taught him what it was like to sit on a ship, so he became fat and out of shape rather than jacked and ripped.
"I'd joined the Navy and reported for basic training in February 1999. Boot camp was pretty lame. I remember calling my dad at one point and saying that basic was easy compared to ranch work... Instead I got fat and out of shape. You see, boot camp is designed to prepare you to sit on a ship." pg.27

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After basic training, in order to become a SEAL, navy recruits had to take training called BUD/S. During that training, they had to go through "hell week," where they "tortured" you for a week. In oder to make it through, it is basically 90% mental strength. Passing the one week ends up being a checkpoint in BUD/S.
"Many instructors say Hell Week is 90% mental and they're right. You need to show that you have the mental toughness to continue on with a mission even when you're exhausted. That's really what the idea is behind the test." pg.38

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What one Navy SEAL learned by doing Hell Week 3 times | David Goggins | Big Think

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Due to an infection Chris got during BUD/S training, he was held back two classes. What would've been the graduating class of 231, he ended up with 233.
"We graduated two dezen guys out of our class; less than ten percent the number that started. I was one of them. I'd started in class 231, but the rollback meant I graduated with 233. " pg. 43

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Sniper school, along with BUD/S, was the hardest school Chris has ever been to. It was always late nights and early mornings while he was attending sniper school for SEALs. They first taught the students cameras and computers for navigation and such. Next, the SEAL sniper is taught how to observe for recon and to learn everything he can about the enemy. Being a sniper is about efficiency and patience.

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Navy SEAL sniper concealed in FFP (Final Firing Position)

My friend and Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's book, American Sniper, is getting a lot of media (as it should) since his book hit shelves yesterday. American Sniper is sure to be a massive best seller.

I thought I'd just briefly highlight the US Navy SEAL course requirements (in brief), as not too many people are aware that we have our own Navy SEAL sniper program.

For me, it was the highlight of my career when I was in charge of the US Navy SEAL sniper course as Course Manager during my last tour with the Teams. The work the students were doing overseas to support not only SOF missions, but regular Army and USMC was just fantastic. Chris talks about that in our Kit Up interview with him (click the above link).

Brandon Webb's personal 300 Win Mag

Here's a quick look at highlights and some past writing on the subject. I'll post more on actual sniper gear on Kit Up soon!

SEAL Sniper Course Highlights

Approx. 3 months in length

Must qualify expert (again) to start the course. If you don't, see you later....

Comms and Digital Photo course prior to Field Craft Phase (2 weeks), and focus is on Field Intel gathering and communication skills.

Scout phase includes stalking and field craft (integrated digital photography Recon work). Graded stalks and advanced marksmanship begin. (~4 weeks)

Sniper phase includes advanced ballistics, mental management training, practical shooting and testing. We test them with stationary and moving targets and individual skills out to 1000 yards in high wind (~7 weeks)

The one thing that I would say really separates the SEAL course from the pack is the comprehensive curriculum and length of training (compare it to other courses and you'll see). Also, graduates are tested and trained to operate as smart individual shooters (most of our missions utilize single snipers). This is a departure from the traditional shooter/spotter pair training methodology.
One thing for certain is that the SEAL sniper can self spot and make rapid assessments of where to place the next shot ALL without a spotter. You would not want to be on the other end of the equation with most military snipers, especially a Navy SEAL trained one..

Excerpt from Brandon's article on Becoming a Sniper MAXIM UK.

"The 21st Century Sniper is a mature, intelligent shooter who leverages technology to his deadly advantage. He has spent thousands of hours honing his skills. He is a master of concealment in all environments, from the mountains of Afghanistan to the crowded streets of Iraq. He is trained in science and left alone to create the unique art of the kill. To the sniper, the battlefield is like a painter's blank canvas. It is his job to simultaneously utilize tools, training and creativity to deliver devastating psychological impact upon the battlefield. And it is he alone that is left with the intimacy of the kill.

What does it take to make a Navy SEAL sniper? The SEAL course is arguably best in class. It is the most challenging and technically advanced course in the world. Just looking at the accomplishments of the course graduates is justification enough. Few people outside of US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) know this of course. What you will not read about on Wikipedia or anywhere else, is that the Navy SEALs currently have the most accomplished sniper in SOCOM, with over one hundred confirmed kills to his credit." -Brandon

An excerpt from Brandon's article from MAXIM UK: Hunting Pirates

"In seconds the situation has been handled with finality. The pirates did not suffer because they were shot with precision. It is a clean death, unlike what most of us will encounter in this life." -Brandon

"The Only Easy Day was Yesterday"-Brandon out.

Brandon is the former US Navy SEAL Sniper Course Manager and coauthor of The 21st Century Sniper.

Show Full Article

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The US Navy SEAL Sniper Course: One of The Best in the World

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Navy SEAL sniper concealed in FFP (Final Firing Position) My friend and Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's book, American Sniper, is getting a lot of media (as it should) since his book hit shelves yesterday. American Sniper is sure to be a massive best seller.

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Before his first deployment, Chris Kyle was still in basic training when he and three others got lost at sea. They were to go ashore in a Zodiac, do recon, and go back out. A simple in-and-out mission. Though, their officer gave the wrong coordinates to the ship they were supposed to board. They didn't know at the time, so they ended up looking around in circles for their mother boat. At some point, their radio stopped working and their raft started becoming flat. They then went to a nearby island and were stuck there. The media caught wind of it and eventually the group was picked up by an MK-V after a patrol plane spotted them.

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Not only was he a SEAL, but Chris was also a husband. When he came home, he and his wife decided to start a family. Everything went smoothly besides the childbirth since Taya had some sort of problem. Because of that, she had to give birth without any help or something which was extra painful for her. Though, their son weighed 8lbs.

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Chris had been "volunteered " to go to NAV school by his chief. Since he wasn't willing to do it, he went reluctantly. Having a navigator on a team is important since it is a viable skill. They tell the team how to get in and out of a battle, even the best way to get to the intended target. Since being a navigator doesn't see much combat, it was the opposite for Chris since it got him to Iraq before everyone else.

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Waypoint Navigation School offers the following training:

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While Chris was in Iraq, he was woken up in the middle of the night by his boss. thinking he was in trouble, he tried to come up with something he did wrong but couldn't. When he entered his boss's office, he was going to send him to Fallujah. Apparently the Marines were going to do a push and they needed a sniper at the ready. He was going to be in the middle of combat just like he wanted.

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Once Chris was was assigned on a mission to take back Fallujah with the Marines, he left base on November 7th. He, a few SEALs, and a dozen Marines packed into a Marine amtrac and left. After daybreak when they were on the outside of the city, they began setting up and following through with their plan to take it back.

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When he and everyone else made their way to the city, their location was perfect for sniper positioning. Chris and other SEALs took their positions and began doing reconnaissance. He watched as Marines poured out of several other vehicles and began rushing into the city; breaching housing along the way.

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After they cleared out and set up a base right at the entrance of the city where they were going to attack, Chris rushed to group up with the others. The lieutenant that was in charge of organizing overwatches gave the SEAL snipers a building to occupy. Chris went to a building with another sniper as his partner that he met in BUD/S. Chris picked the building he wanted to be on and what floor. Setting up once he got there, he rotated watch with his buddy, Ray.

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Chris wanted to see battle and shoot those enemies. When he got behind the gun, he didn't need to wait long. Is was only for a short while did enemies start appearing that he could put a bullet through. Insurgents would move to the back area, thinking they were invisible so they could spy or attack US Marines. They were wrong when he could see them and end them with a shot.

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One time when Chris came down from his position on a roof to take a break, he ducked behind something when an explosion went off. About 10ft away, the wall to their building collapsed to reveal two insurgents. They were just as stunned as Chris and his buddy because the explosion was unexpected. Without hesitation, Chris and his buddy grabbed their pistols and began opening fire. The bullets they hit them with didn't drop them, but the Marines did when they ran out into the street.