American Sniper: Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

Kyle was born in north-central Texas, in a small town. He was brought up to be patriotic and respect traditions. He always had a strong sense of justice, and has always considered himself a Christian. He’s loved guns for his entire life—even as a child, he hunted deer with his father. Kyle’s father was a successful manager at AT&T, but he encouraged his son to do what he loved. Kyle and his brother fought a lot growing up. However, Kyle remains very close with his brother.

Kyle’s family taught him to be respectful and brave. He got in fights, but he rarely started them—rather, he believed that it was his duty to protect others. Kyle’s parents were both hard workers, and they encouraged him to keep busy, too. As a teenager, Kyle worked as a ranch-hand, tending bulls. As a boy, his “first gun” was the Daisy multi-pump BB rifle. At the age of seven or eight, Kyle received his first rifle, a bolt-action 30-06. At first he found this weapon frightening, but he quickly learned how to use it.

As a teenager, Chris Kyle loved the idea of being a cowboy. Like any good cowboy, he learned how to break a horse—i.e., stay on a horse until it quit bucking. Kyle proved to be good at breaking horses, and by the end of high school he was competing in rodeos. After high school, he continued to compete, and won many medals for his efforts.

Kyle attended college at Tarleton State University, an agricultural university. He continued going to rodeos until the end of his freshman year, when an accident left him with a dislocated shoulder, effectively ending his career. He worked at a lumberyard for the rest of college, and eventually became a real cowboy, working on a ranch. During this period, Kyle continued to hone his rifle skills by shooting raccoons and other pests. He also learned how to train horses, a skill that taught him patience and drive—both important qualities for a SEAL.

In 1996, Kyle signed up for the military. A recruiter, impressed with his skill as a cowboy and a marksman, suggested that he become a SEAL, at the time a relatively obscure branch of the military. The SEALs were an elite group, and Kyle liked the challenge of becoming a SEAL—he also found the stories of UDTs (the predecessors to the SEALs, who fought in World War II and Vietnam) to be “badass.” However, Kyle was dismayed when he failed his medical examination, due to his old rodeo injuries. Kyle believed he’d never be able to become a SEAL. Not long after failing his medical examination, however, Kyle got a call from a recruiter, who invited him to join the navy and train to be a SEAL. Without any hesitation, Kyle packed his bags.