different tactics we are teaching the military and the law enforcement. and for the military we're, we have hired -- it's not just seals, you know? i'm, i am or was a seal, but, and there's a few more working with us, but i have a lot of, you know, special forces, marines, army. because when i have other units coming in, i don't want just a seal being up there and people think, ah, he's a seal, he has an ego, whatever, he thinks he's better than me. now i have a team of guys from all these different branches that were all coming together and saying, look, here's something that can help. and then sometimes army and marines you might have a little different lingo. so now at least you have that guy there that can speak your speak. and we do the same thing with law enforcement. we have the cops involved, heavily involved. we still have some military instructors in there because i do feel some of the stuff the

military does that it can help, it'll benefit the police. and the same, vice versa. some of the stuff the police do, it'll help the military. and just trying to get a little more synergy going between everybody and get everyone to talking and try to come out with the best possible solution for everyone. >> host: chris kyle, what's the web site? >> guest: it is thecraft.com or craftintl.com. >> host: next call for chris kyle comes from jeff in aiken, south carolina, a navy vet. go ahead, jeff. >> caller: hey, chris. i just want to say i appreciate everything you've done. i served from 2000 to 2006 in iraq -- well, not the whole time in iraq, but i did two deployments there. i also did small boat swift teams, not sure you know what they are. and then i got out, and i discovered the same thing that you do, that the caliber of people just isn't quite the same

that you deal with. became an flt officer, i did that for a few years. you know, i really -- [inaudible] and a lot of people maybe don't understand what's going on in your life and as an individual. if you could just kind of go into that for people and explain to them that, you know, you're not a cold-blooded killer as much as you're doing a job. thanks, man. >> guest: and thank you for your service. yeah, as far as being a sniper, like i was saying before, i'm not out there trying to rack up kills and get these huge numbers. i don't care about the numbers. and i would love to be known by the number of people i was actually able to save. but i'm out there to insure the safety of everyone on the streets. i want every one of those guys and girls that go over there with me to be able to come home. and it's not just those guys that i'm protecting. i'm also out there to protect the civilians in that location where i'm at. some of these open-air markets

we were there -- excuse me -- we were there to be able to provide that security so they could come back out and actually sell their goods without having to worry about someone snatching them off the street or blowing 'em up. i mean, they were out there ruling in fear by cutting heads off and torturing people. so we're just trying to make it safe. and you can't think of the person that you're shooting as an actual person. i mean, otherwise it's going to tear you apart. you can't think of their family or anything. you're just, you're there to provide safety for your guys and the civilians that are out there. and like you said, it is -- it's a job. it's a difficult job, and, you know, some people -- i've seen the comments where they've called me a coward for hiding in a location where no one can see me and shooting a guy from a mile away. well, there's a reason i'm shooting the guy from a mile

away, because i wasn't close enough, and there was someone who was close enough that he was fixing to kill. so i, wherever i can reach out and get you, to be able to provide that security i will do it. or did. so it's unfortunate, but war is hell, and we're not going over there to hand out flowers and cookies. we're being called in because it's hit the fan, and we're there to make it stop. >> host: rachel reuben tweets in to you, mr. kyle: on becoming a sniper, is there some kind of aptitude test for that? just have good eye? how does one get assigned as a sniper? >> guest: well, as far as being assigned to sniper, we weren't allowed at that time to be a new guy, a brand new guy that's never deployed to be a sniper. you had to show that you were responsible and mature enough to be able to conduct yourself and possibly pass through the

course, and then my chief nominated me to be able to go when i got back from my first deployment. when you go as far as the aptitude test, honestly, i think that's something that they've all been trying to figure out, what kind of person does it take. honestly? i don't know. i'm not a very patient man, so patience, i don't think, is a requirement of being a sniper. it's professional -- it's just, it's your professional discipline of doing the right thing at the right time and knowing when you have to pay attention to detail and just take your time, slow down. maybe you have to, we called it reveg, to put the vegetation back on your gilley suit, or you're coming into a new environment, and it's not the same vegetation that you have on you, so you have to stop, take the time to take that old stuff off and put the new stuff on. it's kind of like integrity,

doing the right thing at the right time. and then being able to concentrate on the weapon and shoot and actually be able to learn all the different things that are involved with the actual shooting portion. there's, actually, a lot of math involved, especially the farther out in distance you go. >> host: you're watching booktv on c-span2, and our guest is chris kyle, author of the best-selling book "american sniper: the autobiography of the most lethal sniper in u.s. military history." we have about 15 minutes left with our guest, and robert is active duty in salt lake city. robert, you're on booktv with chris kyle. >> caller: yes, mr. kyle, i just wanted to say thank you for all of your service. um, i joined in 1985, and i'm still currently in. um, i just -- i was away on tdy last week, and i seen your book, and i picked it up, and i want to tell ya it's a fantastic book.

i haven't been able to put it down, and i think i have, like, 20 pages left. thank you again for everything. >> guest: well, thank you, sir. and thank you for everything you have done and everything you continue to do for us. you are the reason this book is out there, to draw awareness to your sacrifices. and, hopefully, the public will then lift you up and say thank you and show you thanks. in fact, you know, the book, all of my portion of the proceeds are going back to the two families of the guys i lost. mark lee and ryan job. and then the other third of that money is going back to charities to help vets. so i am out here promoting this book and, you know, unfortunately this is not a happy-go-lucky book. that was some of the best moments of the life, but it was also some of the worst. and every time i do this book tour and talk about this, you relive it.

and then you get stressed, and, you know, especially the first time i was talking with the author, you feel like you just got run over by a mack truck. but, you know, i'm doing this for these guys because i am highlighting them, and i'm not going to sit here and give you lip service. so i'm going to show you, too, by i'm giving this money back to these guys. >> host: what was the book tour like for you? >> guest: it was fun, but at the same time it was stressful. you're worried because there's always going to be haters out there, and you're wondering when's that hater going to come up and confront you? and are they going to throw something at you, are they going to spit on you? fortunately, i have yet to see that, but it's emotional at times. i've had some of the family members standing in line and wait to be able to get up there and sign a book with me. and i love seeing these people. they come up, and they're nervous because they want me to sign their book, and i keep

telling 'em, you're not as nervous as i am. i am not super comfortable in front of big groups of people and one-on-one. it's difficult for me. but i do enjoy it, and i do love seeing these guys in uniform standing there in line. in fact, you know, the first one i did was here in dallas, and it was a rainy night, and it was the night of the national championship between alabama and lsu. i thought, you know, i was mad, actually, because i wanted to watch the game, but my publicist scheduled it. but i thought, that's all right, hardly anyone will show up, and i'll go catch it. well, 1200 people later and the game was over, so it was an awesome, awesome be -- turnout, and all these people are now coming out and saying, thank you, you've opened by eyes. i had a woman write me a letter saying i was not only against the wars, i was against the military because she was raised

in a military family, and she hated 'em. well, then after reading my book she goes, i understand. and she said it made her cry and opened her eyes to where now she supports the troops. i just find it amazing that this book is reaching out and actually touching people and opening some eyes. and when i'm doing these book signings, all these people are standing in line to meet me which it blows my mind. but if they're going to stand there in line to meet me, then i'm going to stand there. i'm not going to sit behind the desk and just sign a book, i'm going to stand up. as long as you're standing, i'm going to stand. and then i sign everybody's book, i try to talk to you a little bit. so i want it to be personal. i want you to know that i'm a real person. i'm your average, everyday guy, and if you want, i'll come around the table, and i'll take a picture with you. and i love meeting the kids. they bring me pictures and drawings that they've done. it's nice.

>> host: language alert, here's a little bit from chris kyle's "american sniper." this is the subchapter, "don't tell my mom."

>> host: next call is sean in oak choke, florida. you're on with chris kyle. >> caller: hey, chris, i was an army scout in iraq and kuwait. being down here in florida, i did have the honor the last muster down in florida where they dedicated the udtc memorial, and that was very touching, very moving, and it was great to be able to see a lot of the seal guys that get out and do it every day. your comment on seeing the flag and seeing, you know, the national anthem, "star-spangled banner," we were at a toby keith

concert, and when he played "american soldier," that just -- every hair on my body stood up. my wife looked over, and i had a tear in my eye. they just don't get it unless you've been there, done that. i've got a 17, 18-year-old kid, and what's your advice to the next generation of kids that want to join the military and train in special op combatants or, you know, maybe not even special op combatant, but just join the military and support their country? thanks. >> host: chris kyle. >> guest: well, thank you for your service. i appreciate it. as far as the kids, you know, i've got two kids myself, and i'm never going to push 'em towards the military, and i'm never going to push 'em away because one great thing, the military, it is a volunteer force. and if you're going to be there, i want it to be because you want it. and you're going to understand that honor that goes into serving your country. as far as preparing them, i

mean, they need to know that when you sign up to go into the military, there's a very high likelihood -- especially now -- you're going to go to war. so just prepare yourself that you may be called upon by your country to put your life on the line and possibly give your life for everybody else's safety here. and a lot of people are saying, well, they don't understand why they're fighting over there, and that's fine. just -- you don't even listen to the people who are coming out against the war because what they need to be doing is protesting congress. or protest the president. all these politicians. but leave the military guys alone. they're out there doing a job. it's an extremely honorable job. and you're going to have some of the best moments of your life, you're going to have a brotherhood, and you'll never lose contact with those people. they will be your family. but you're going to have some of the worst moments of your life. it's going to be your extreme ups and your extreme lows. so just be prepared.

>> host: matt, yakima, washington. go ahead with your question or comment. >> caller: hi, chris. thank you so much for taking so much time and talking with us and speaking today. thanks for your service, thanks for your sacrifice, time away from your family and everything you've done. for the story, i can't wait to read your book. and for your advice that you're giving just with what we can do for really our neighbors, our family members that are coming back not just a is simple, hey, thanks for the service, but, you know, what can we do for you. can you go more into that? and did you see "act of valor"? did you like that? >> guest: i did see "act of valor." i do like it. i watched it one time, it was a -- i don't know what they called it, but they gave us a special showing of it, and it

was all us military guys in there. and it was definitely emotional. a lot of those different things. i was involved with because each of those missions were true missions. but it definitely hurt to watch it, and the next time i watch it, it will be in my own home with no one else around. as far as giving back to the guys and showing your thanks, it's simple little things, you know? if they own their house or, you know, if they have a house that has a yard or something, go mow their yard for 'em. cook 'em something whether it's a meal or cookies, you know, come over and ask if, hey, do you need this chore done or that chore, whatever. it's just simple little things, and it will take some of your time, you know, depending on what you want to do, it could take five minutes or all day long. it depends on how much you want to do. but these guys are out this willing to die for you. i feel like now it's our duty to

give back to them and to make sure that they know that we appreciate everything that they're doing. because i don't think most of the public fully understands and grasps what these men and women are willing to do for our safety and security. they're willing to the die for us. people that they don't even know and people they'll never meet, but they're willing to die for us. so the least we can do is take some time out of our days. and everybody's day, i know, is extremely busy. but it's not going to do anything but make you feel better inside because now we've been doing these retreats for these guys, taking 'em out hunting, fishing, doing doesn't things with them just to get them out and say, look, i love you, thank you, this is what i'm going to do for you. so let's go do this. and there's other organizations out there. you know, one of them i've been involved with is called fitco. fitco cares hero project. when i got out, i started

drinking a lot, and then i got way out of shape, i refused to work out, and i was depressed. so i started working out again finally, started getting back into shape, and when i did that, my head cleared up. so when i did that, i went to this guy, and i said, hey, this helped me. do you have some old equipment or something cheap that i can buy to help put in these vets ooh homes? because these vets, if they were like me, when you're out of shape, you don't want to go to a gym and then people look at you and go, oh, you used to be that? whatever. and then you feel bad about yourself or these guys that are coming back injured, they don't want to go to a gym and people stare at 'em. so this guy turned this thing into a huge organization, a nonprofit now to where we're taking brand new, expensive equipment and putting it in these guys' and girls' homes so they can feel better within. but then it's also, has private trainers if you want it. it has therapists if you need it. we're not only just trying to get the body back, we're trying

to help you in everything. because ptsd is nothing to be frowned on. these guys, they're still a part of the society. they gave to us. they can still be trusted. i mean, it's nothing to be looked down on. we need to help them. we owe it to 'em. >> host: chris kyle writes: >> host: debbie in denver, you're on with "american sniper" chris kyle. >> caller: hi, chris. first of all, thank you for serving, and i just want to say

that i come from a long line of military family as well, and i remember my dad and my brother both served in vietnam at the same time. and my mother was a tough cookie, boy, she just was real tough and thick skinned. and i remember as a child that we weren't allowed to ask or question either of them about the combat or the kills or anything like that. so now my son is a combat veteran, and he served -- he was in iraq in the second year of the war. but when he came home, he was torn and suffered a lot, and he was injured, and i remembered that old, you know, that old thing that you don't question, you don't talk about it. so what's your thought on that? because i really wanted to reach out to my son, but i just was instilled with that boundary of you just don't cross. >> host: chris kyle. >> guest: well, as far as the not talking to him about it, you

know, i think a lot of these guys that are having problems, you know, i think ptsd is something that no matter how much you talk about it, i don't think ptsd is going to go away. it's something that you're going to have to learn to live with and work around, but it is definitely something controllable and something that could be put to the back of your mind. ..

och no matter what you have seen or what you have done, i am here for you because you served for me and now i am going to serve you. as far as the rest of your family thank you so much for everything your family has done and i am really sorry that your son has gone through and made such sacrifices but i definitely wish him the best. >> here's the book. select the 12, the autobiography of the most lethal flight carrying u.s. military history.