Widow Of Slain 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle Speaks Out

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'A Gun Didn't Kill My Husband, A Man Killed My Husband': Wife Of America's Deadliest Sniper Chris Kyle Says His Killing Doesn't Change Her View Of Guns -- Daily Mail 

The widow of legendary Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle is still a passionate supporter of the Second Amendment - despite her husband's murder in a tragic shooting in February.

Tara Kyle, 38, who recently spoke at a Houston NRA convention, owns a Smith & Wesson pistol, but says that 'A gun didn't kill my husband, a man killed my husband.'

Her husband is credited with 160 confirmed kills during a stellar decade-long career with SEAL Team 3, was shot dead at a Glen Rose, Texas, gun range after an alleged incident involving an ex-Marine, Eddie Ray Routh.

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More News On The Widow Of Slain 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle  

Widow of slain Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle carries on his legacy -- Dallas News
Widow of slain 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle still supporting right to bear arms -- New York Post
Taya Kyle, Widow of Slain Navy SEAL, Promotes Gun Rights -- Opposing Views
Exclusive: Guns.com Talks with Taya Kyle, wife of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (VIDEO) -- Guns.com
Jesse Ventura sues the widow of the 'American Sniper' saying that Chris Kyle defamed the former wrestler by writing about how he 'punched him in a bar fight' -- Daily Mail
Now Jesse Ventura Is Going After The Widow Of The Slain 'American Sniper' -- Business Insider/The Blaze

Revisiting The SEAL Sniper Killing

The SEAL Sniper Killing, Revisited -- Mark Thompson, Battleland/Time

The shocking and bizarre death of Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle – at the hands of a fellow combat vet – in Texas last February was one of the saddest tales to come out of the post-9/11 wars on the homefront. Battleland was able to write it up for Time the next week, but there’s only so much reporting that can be done under the pressure of a weekly deadline.

That’s why it’s good news that Anthony Swofford, the Marine author of Jarhead, has helped flesh out the tragedy in Death of an American Sniper. It’s a 15,000-word e-short into the killing of one of the deadliest snipers — with 160 claimed kills — in U.S. military history. Battleland conducted this email chat with him over the weekend:

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My Comment: Our prayers are with the families who have suffered greatly from this loss.

NRA Gives A Tribute To Chris Kyle (Video)

British Army Snipers Cannot Target The Enemy Because Of Ill Fitting Helmets

(Click on Image to Enlarge)
Photo from The Daily Mail

Army Snipers Put In Danger By Ill Fitting Helmets That Make It 'Near Impossible' To Target Taliban Fighters -- Daily Mail

* Crack marksmen are having to remove the helmets to adopt firing position
* The latest controversy was flagged up in a letter in Soldier magazine
* It will reignite fears that defence chiefs are cutting corners on equipment

British Army snipers’ lives are being put at risk because they are forced to remove ill-fitting protective helmets before they shoot at the enemy.

Crack marksmen have complained that it is ‘near impossible’ to adopt a correct firing position when targeting Taliban fighters in Afghanistan because of unsuitable kit.

Problems have arisen on the frontline when the back of the standard-issue helmets rub against the top of the ballistic plates in the cutting-edge Osprey body armour.

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My Comment: I suspect that these British snipers started complaining on day one when they first started to use these helmets. The fact that it took a letter to a Soldier magazine to illicit a response from the MoD tells me that this is a problem that they are avoiding to solve for the simple reason being that there is no money in the budget to fix it right now.

Some Thoughts On The Death Of Chris Kyle

Ex-Sniper Extended Hand To Troubled Marine Accused In His Death -- New York Times

LANCASTER, Tex. — On Saturday, when Chris Kyle, a retired Navy SEAL sniper, parked his truck outside Eddie Ray Routh’s house in this Dallas suburb, the two men were virtual strangers. Their plan was to spend the afternoon at a remote shooting range, one of Mr. Kyle’s techniques for helping struggling veterans adjust to civilian life.

But by the evening, the police had arrested Mr. Routh, charging him with the shooting deaths of Mr. Kyle and another man, Chad Littlefield.

Mr. Kyle’s friends said he did not know Mr. Routh well — Mr. Kyle became lost trying to find the house, and had to ask a neighbor for directions — but he knew Mr. Routh’s mother, Jodi Routh, who had recently asked for help for her son, a former Marine who spent 15 days in a nearby jail last year after a drunken-driving arrest, and who the authorities said had a history of mental illness.

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My Comment: He died doing what he wanted to do .... helping vets who have problems in adjusting to civilian life .... and now he will be missed. Our prayers are with his family and with the family of Chad Littlefield.

The Death Of 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle -- News Roundup

Routh was arrested by police in Texas several hours after the alleged shooting [Reuters]

Pictured: The Former Marine With PTSD 'Who Shot Military's Deadliest Sniper' As Legendary Ex-SEAL Tried To Help Him Deal With Trauma -- Daily Mail

* Ex-Navy Seal and New York Times best-selling author Chris Kyle, 39, was reportedly shot along with another man
* The suspect, 25-year-old Eddie Ray Routh, is in police custody after he fled the scene in Kyle's car
* Kyle is a husband and father of two who served four tours in Iraq and holds the U.S. military record for most sniper kills

The deadliest sniper in US history has been shot dead at point blank range by a veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

Chris Kyle, 39, was blasted in the back by Eddie Ray Routh, 25, after taking him on an outing to a shooting range to help him deal with his demons.

Routh also allegedly shot dead his neighbor Chad Littlefield, 35, who was on the trip too.

Kyle’s death sparked a huge outpouring of tributes across America with many saying that he was a ‘true American hero’.

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More News On The Death Of American Sniper And Hero Chris Kyle

Motive still unclear in ex-Navy SEAL's murder -- CBS
Iraq vet Eddie Ray Routh, 25, charged in murder of ex-Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and a friend -- CBS/AP
Chris Kyle murder: War veteran Eddie Routh charged -- BBC
Iraq vet charged in killing of ex-SEAL -- Houston Chronicle/New York Times
Texas man arraigned on murder charges in shooting of ex-Navy SEAL -- Reuters
Ex-Marine Charged with Murder in Sniper Chris Kyle's Death -- Atlantic Wire
Suspect charged in former US sniper's killing -- Al Jazeera
Fellow vet accused in slay of decorated Navy SEAL sniper -- New York Post
Man Charged In Death Of 'American Sniper' Author -- NPR
Gun range slaying suspect held on $3M bail -- UPI
Alleged shooter of Navy SEAL Tasered after being aggressive with jailers -- Dallas News
Navy SEAL shooting suspect on suicide watch -- Washington Times
Routh's Mother Asked Kyle To Help Her Son -- NBC
Chris Kyle’s Alleged Killer – Who Is Eddie Ray Routh? -- Radar
Semiautomatic handgun used to kill ‘American Sniper’ author Chris Kyle at Texas gun range: official -- New York Daily News
Ex-Navy sniper, another military vet killed at Texas gun range -- CNN
Former SEAL Chris Kyle Allegedly Killed by Former Marine He Was Trying to Help -- ABC News
‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle shot dead in a post-combat world -- Stars and Stripes/L.A. Times
Chris Kyle, Navy SEAL and author of ‘American Sniper,’ dies -- Washington Post
'American Sniper' Chris Kyle and friend Chad Littlefield were shot multiple times at gun range near Glen Rose -- Star Telegram
Deadliest sniper in U.S. military history is 'shot and killed point-blank by veteran suffering from PTSD' at Texas gun range -- Daily Mail
The Military's Deadliest Sniper Ever Was Shot Point Blank Right Here At Home -- Business Insider
Chris Kyle, Author and Former Navy SEAL Sniper, Dies at 38 -- Time
Ex-Navy SEAL allegedly killed by Iraq War vet died pursuing his passion of helping veterans -- Washington Post/AP
Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle' Killing Puts Spotlight on PTSD -- ABC News
American Cipher: 1 in 2.5 Million -- Mark Thompson, Time
Chris Kyle, America's deadliest sniper, offered no regrets -- CNN
Ex-SEAL Chris Kyle remembered after shooting death -- USA Today
A look at the life and times of American Sniper author Chris Kyle -- Herald Sun
A glance at the life of Chris Kyle, ex-Navy SEAL and author, who was shot and killed Saturday -- Washington Post/AP

'American Sniper' Author Chris Kyle 'Most Lethal Sniper In US History' Shot Dead At Texas Gun Range

Deadliest Sniper In U.S. Military History Is 'Shot And Killed Point-Blank By Veteran Suffering From PTSD' At Texas Gun Range -- Daily Mail

* Ex-Navy Seal and New York Times best-selling author Chris Kyle, 39, was reportedly shot along with another man
* The suspect, 25-year-old Eddie Ray Routh, is in police custody after he fled the scene in Kyle's car
* Kyle is a husband and father of two who served four tours in Iraq and holds the U.S. military record for most sniper kills

A former Navy Seal, expert sniper and best-selling author was reportedly gunned down at a Texas shooting range Saturday by a veteran who is recovering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Ex-Navy Seal Chris Kyle, 39, and another man were shot point-blank around 3:30 p.m. at a charity event on behalf of Kyle's security firm at the gun range at Rough Creek Lodge and Resort in Erath County.

The suspect, 25-year-old Eddie Ray Routh, was arrested roughly five hours later in Lancaster, Texas after a police chase. He was driving Kyle's truck at the time of the arrest, police said.

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More News On The Death Of 'American Sniper' Author Chris Kyle

Chris Kyle, record-holding sniper as Navy SEAL, killed in double slaying at Erath County gun range -- Dallas News
Elite Navy SEAL slain in Erath County; suspect arrested -- WFAA
Famed Navy SEAL Chris Kyle slain at gun range in N. Texas -- KHOU
Author of "American Sniper" Chris Kyle shot to death: reports -- Reuters
Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle Killed at Shooting Range; Suspect Arrested -- ABC News
Ex-Navy sniper killed at Texas gun range -- CNN
"American Sniper" Author Shot, Killed at Gun Range -- NBC
'American Sniper' Author Chris Kyle Fatally Shot At Texas Gun Range -- NBC
Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle fatally shot at Texas shooting range -- FOX News
Chris Kyle - 'Most lethal sniper in US history' shot dead on Texas gun range -- The Independent
American Sniper author Chris Kyle shot dead in Texas -- BBC
The Military's Deadliest Sniper Ever Was Just Shot Point Blank Right Here At Home -- Business Insider

New Rifle Technology Can Turn A Novice Into A Dangerous Sniper

Smart' hunting rifle makes up for jittery aim 

Using state of the art digital range finders and a very smart trigger, the TrackingPoint rifle can make a sharpshooter out of anyone, including NBCNews.com's Wilson Rothman. 

Futuristic Rifle Turns Novice Into Sharpshooter -- NBC 

 It all goes back to "Top Gun." In the heads-up display on Maverick's Tomcat, you can see a computer compensate for human aim with precision laser guidance and careful calculations. How long before that technology made its way to to a conventional hunting rifle? It's here now, with a price tag of $17,000 to $21,000. We came to Las Vegas the first week of January, the way we always do, for the Consumer Electronics Show. The vast trade show features over 3,300 exhibitors, and covers 1.9 million square feet. But there are no shooting ranges at CES. To check out TrackingPoint, we had to drive out to the hills outside of town. Read more .... My Comment: Great for snipers and soldiers in a combat zone. Great for hunters who do not want to hunt. One more worry for the US Secret Service.

Can A Sniper Hit A Target 3080 Yards With A HTI .375 CheyTac

DTA & DTM 3080 Yards with HTI .375 CheyTac -- DTAComLink

Recent news has been reported of two Australian Snipers who shot and killed a Taliban commander at a record distance of 3079 yards during a simultaneous command fire. They were firing two Barrett M107 .50 BMG rifles. There has been a lot of debate whether the equipment used had the accuracy or sighting capability to make such a shot even possible. Australia has some very capable snipers and we aren’t here to be a part of that debate, we just got overly excited about the news because we wanted to see what kind of accuracy was really possible at 3079 yards so we headed out to the Utah desert with our DTA HTI .375CT rifle and DTM ammo in hand to see what we could do.

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My Comment: That is some impressive shooting.

New U.S. Advancements In Sniper Rifles

WNU Editor: Tracking Point's website is here.

Hat Tip: Michael Yon

New Russian Large-Caliber Sniper Rifle - VKS "Vykhlop" (With Silencer)

My Comment: A well done video. The message in this video is clear .... the Americans are not the only ones with excellent sniper rifles.

Update: As a bonus, here is a Russian blonde firing a large caliber Russian ASVK sniper rifle. (The soldiers were laughing at her in the background .... but she did do the shot).

Why US Marine Scout Snipers Are The Best

Emmanuel Ramos via U.S. Marine Corps

See What Makes US Marine Scout Snipers The Deadliest Shots On The Planet -- Business Insider

The Marine Scout Sniper school is the most elite military sniper school on earth, and one of the toughest special operations courses in the U.S. Military.

Not only do the Army, Navy, and the Air Force send troops here, but foreign services like the Israelis and the British, often trade students for the opportunity to earn the Marine Sniper designation.

One of the profiled students in this Discovery video was actually attached to the unit I recently covered in Afghanistan. Not only did he supply the company with absurdly accurate intelligence on the enemy, but he also took a couple of them out when we needed it most.

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My Comment: This is also probably one the most dangerous jobs in the military.

A Better Sniper Rifle

Sgt. Tim R. Lee, scout sniper, Scout Sniper platoon, Headquarters and Support Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, fine-tunes the sights of his M-40 sniper rifle before beginning the first stage of a three-day platoon competition in Djibouti March 25. The contest challenged scout snipers in communication, marksmanship and team work throughout various competitive relays. The 24th MEU Marines performed a series of sustainment and joint exercises throughout their visit in Djibouti. The 24th MEU is currently on a seven month deployment aboard Nassau Amphibious Ready Group vessels as the theatre reserve force for Central Command.

New 'One-Shot' Rifle Sight Could Make Snipers Deadlier Than Ever -- Business Insider

Snipers are already one of the more deadly anti-personnel assets the U.S. military has, but somehow, they're going to get deadlier.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency just awarded a $6 million contract to Cubic Corporation to develop the last phase of it's XG (Next Generation) sniper sight. Through use of complex sensor systems, the sight automatically adjusts for windage, elevation, even direction and speed of the target.

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My Comment: This is definitely a weapon that you do not want to be in the hands of the enemy and/or an assassin. Throw in 'smart bullets', and one can only imagine the type of weapon one can then have.

Self-Guided Bullets and Super Sniper Scopes

Endgadget

Self-Guided Bullets and Super Sniper Scopes Deliver Death From 2 Km -- New American

As the technology facilitating the expansion of the surveillance state becomes more advanced, the need for proximity to the target of the surveillance diminishes. For example, very soon drones will be equipped with lasers that can penetrate walls, map the interior of a home or other building, and scan a targeted individual’s genetic code from 50 yards with dizzying speed and accuracy. Additionally, the ability to keep drones perpetually airborne is being engineered thanks to multi-million dollar research and development grants offered by the Pentagon to companies on the edge of technological advancement.

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My Comment: Such a weapon will be devastating on any battlefield, but in other areas this is a nightmare scenario (i.e. the U.S. Secret Service will need to expand the security bubble around the President even more).

The Danger Room article is here.

10 Questions With American Sniper, Chris Kyle (Video)

U.S. Military Snipers Are Making A Difference On The Battlefield

In Afghanistan "snipers" play a deadly role on each side of the conflict. On the one hand US Snipers exact a heavy toll and on the other insurgent snipers continue to target US troops. Photo: defenceforumindia.com

U.S. Military Snipers Are Changing Warfare -- USA Today

QUANTICO, Va. – When Marine Sgt. Jonathan Charles' unit arrived in Afghanistan, the American troops faced an entrenched enemy that picked a fight with the Marines almost every time they stepped off base.

"They couldn't get outside the wire more than 50 meters before it was a barrage of fire," said Charles, a scout sniper.

The Marine battalion quickly dispersed well-camouflaged scout sniper teams throughout the Musa Qala area in southern Afghanistan, the former Taliban heartland. The teams would hide for days, holed up in crevices, among boulders or in mud-walled homes, and wait for unsuspecting militants to walk into a trap.

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Update #1: This May Be The Most Devastating Weapon In The Entire US Arsenal -- Business Insider
Update #2: US snipers take aim at insurgents in Afghanistan -- Examiner

My Comment: The above USA Today report is a must read.

U.S. Snipers In Afghanistan

U.S. Snipers Capitalize On A Mistake By Insurgents -- Stars and Stripes

COMBAT OUTPOST NALGHAM, Afghanistan — For nearly two weeks, they had endured daily attacks, after which insurgents would melt away.

But those insurgents made a mistake, and U.S. snipers ensured it was fatal.

A sniper team killed two insurgents and wounded a third near a Taliban weapons cache and staging area in the Nalgham region of Kandahar province on Sunday according to U.S. forces and local Afghan nationals. Coalition forces had been tracking the insurgents using surveillance and reconnaissance assets for nearly two weeks before they fired on the site.

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My Comment: I suspect that this U.S. sniper team stayed put (and hidden) in their position for days (if not longer) until this Taliban group showed up.

Snipers Loyal To Gaddafi Bring Terror And Horror To A City Under Seige

Wounded men – evacuated from Misrata – on board an aid ship bound for Turkey. One doctor said 160 people had been killed in Misrata in the past week, with many hundreds more injured. Photograph: Reuters

Libyans In Misrata Describe Terror Inflicted By Gaddafi's Snipers -- The Guardian

'We are afraid to step into the street. You can just be shot', say Libyans in Misrata, as assault by regime enters sixth week

There has been much to terrorise the people of Misrata over the past weeks of bloody siege. Tank shells and mortars have fallen at random in the heart of the rebel-held Libyan city, with little warning bar the final whistle of the explosive flying through the air. Muammar Gaddafi's planes have periodically bombed the revolutionary enclave in the west of the country.

But residents say there has been nothing like the snipers.

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My Comment: And look who supplied Gaddafi's snipers with the rifles that they are now using to kill and main innocent civilians.

In Two Hours A Sniper Team Killed Eight Taliban

'Quigley': The two Taliban lie dead on the ground near Shamal Storrai in Helmand Province, having been fatally hit by the same bullet

British Sniper Takes Out TWO Taliban With A Single Bullet: Extraordinary Images Show How Crack Shot Killed Insurgents -- The Daily Mail

* Two snipers killed 75 Taliban in only 40 days in Helmand Province
* In one two-hour session they fatally shot eight Taliban

On a dusty road in Afghanistan, British soldiers inspect the bodies of two dead Taliban soldiers - one a known insurgent commander.

The James Bond-style gun barrel view through a rifle's crosshairs offers some explanation as to what has just taken place in the notoriously dangerous Helmand Province.

But it does not tell the full amazing story of the moment a crack British sniper, from a distance of 196 metres, needed just one bullet to kill two insurgents fleeing on a motorcycle.

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My Comment: While a lot of media attention has been directed at the impact that ieds are having on coalition soldiers, on the other side of the coin it appears that the Taliban are being decimated by hidden sniper teams. It is also obvious that this war is entering a new and bloody phase, and even though two snipers were able to kill 75 Taliban in forth days, the Taliban appear to have no problem in finding new recruits.

The Sniper War In Afghanistan Intensifies

Lieut Jamie MacDonald, base commander, who vows his troops will bring down the sniper in Qadrat Photo: HEATHCLIFF O'MALLEY

Dead Men Risen: The Snipers' Story -- The Telegraph

Operating from a remote patrol base in Helmand, two British snipers were responsible for killing 75 Taliban fighters in just 40 days. In one remarkable feat of marksmanship, two insurgents were dispatched with a single bullet.

The arrival at the newly-established Patrol Base Shamal Storrai (Pashto for “North Star”) in late August 2009 of Serjeant Tom Potter and Rifleman Mark Osmond marked the start of an astonishing episode in the history of British Army sniping.

Within 40 days, the two marksmen from 4 Rifles, part of the Welsh Guards Battle group, had achieved 75 confirmed kills with 31 attributed to Potter and 44 to Osmond. Each kill was chalked up as a little stick man on the beam above the firing position in their camouflaged sangar beside the base gate – a stick man with no head denoting a target eliminated with a shot to the skull.

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My Comment: There is another sniper story from The Telegraph, that link is here.