MilitarySpot.com

Serving the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard

Online Schools
| Find Jobs
Follow MilitarySpot:
 
  • Home
  • Enlist
    • Join The Army
    • Join The Navy
    • Join The Air Force
    • Join The Marines
    • Join The Coast Guard
    • Join The National Guard
    • ASVAB
    • Army Physical Fitness Test
    • Military Draft
    • Prior Service Army Enlistment
  • Career
    • Join the Military
    • Jobs for Military and Civilians
    • Career Center
    • Prior Service Army Enlistment
    • Criminal Justice
  • Education
    • Online Schools
    • Spouse Education Benefits
    • GI Bill
    • Military Schools
    • Criminal Justice
  • Benefits
    • Army Benefits
    • Navy Benefits
    • Air Force Benefits
    • Marine Corps Benefits
    • National Guard Benefits
    • Coast Guard Benefits
    • 2012 Basic Pay Rates
    • Allowances
    • Special & Incentive Pay
    • Military Spouse Education Benefits
    • VA Education Benefits
    • GI Bill
  • News
    • Headline News
    • Army News
    • Marines News
    • Airforce News
  • Finance
    • Debt Relief
    • Military Pay Rates
    • Military Personal Loans
    • VA Loans
    • Military Star Card
    • Military MyPay
  • Spouses
    • School Finder
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • PCS, DITY, & Moving
    • Pay Rates
    • MyCAA
    • Education Benefits
  • Community
    • Military Games
    • Military Reunions
    • Classifieds
    • Photo Gallery
    • Buddy Finder
    • MilitarySpot Pinups
    • Military Bases
  • Resources
    • Military Alphabet
    • Military Reunions
    • Military Acronyms
    • Currency Converter
    • Military Tools
    • Ranks
    • Military Time
    • Military Tactics
    • Military Discounts
    • Military Games
    • Military Videos
    • Photo Gallery
    • Infographics
    • How To
  • Travel

Preventing Tragedy: The Murder of Chris Kyle

Chris Kyle

MAY 18, 2017, by Leslie Wyman – The sun is high, and the desert wind blows sands in all directions. Perched high on the rooftops of a seemingly “abandoned” apartment building, Chief petty officer Chris Kyle waits for any insurgent targets that will pose a danger to his advancing unit.

4 hours into the extreme heat, Chris remains undaunted of the harsh desert conditions, still on the lookout for any threats. Armed with his Mk12 Marksman Sniper rifle, he looks unto the scope and sees his unit slowly advancing through the highly urbanized area.

Guided by pure instinct, he turns his gun and sights into a suspicious area on top of a much lower building. Behind a blockade made out of aluminum sheets, cinder blocks, and plywood, he sees part of a turban creeping out. Minutes later, Chris notices an all too familiar weapon coming out of the blockade: A rocket-propelled grenade launcher aims at the advancing U.S. Troops.

 

Chris calmly aims his rifle towards the insurgent. A thin metal sheet now covers the turban he saw earlier. Without vision, he visualizes in his mind the exact position of the terrorist. After a few seconds, U.S. troops below hear a powerful, single shot from Chris’s Mk12 Rifle, echoing through the streets.

In just a matter of few minutes, Chris Kyle and his unit averts disaster and safely goes through the city. The story above is just one of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle’s countless heroic acts during his tour in Iraq. Chris became an American hero when he saved the lives of hundreds of ground troops.

Life after Service

Upon coming home, Chris continued his service to his fellow men by heading a company specializing in tactical training and security for local law enforcement communities. He also went to FITCO Cares Foundation, to provide exercise equipment for veterans with disabilities and those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Tragic Death

It wasn’t long when tragedy would strike him, his family, and the whole United States. Offering help to a deeply troubled veteran, Chris and his friend Chad Littlefield were tragically shot dead on a firing range. The assailant, Eddie Routh, was a troubled marine suffering from PTSD and Schizophrenia.

The Assailant

Eddie Routh
Source: http://www.ugogo.info/mbecat-eddie-ray-routh.asp

A tragedy like this is certainly avoidable if only proper diagnosis and treatment regimens are readily available for all members of the armed forces. PTSD is a disorder which hinders a person’s rational thinking by triggering a lot of traumatic images from the past. It highly disrupts an individual’s ability to sleep, causing a lot of restless nights on the bed.

With Schizophrenia, a more degenerative disease that causes a person to act irrationally and in Eddie Routh’s case, more violently. This condition requires a more strict approach to treatment, diagnosis, and maintenance drugs.

Both of these ailments significantly affect sleeping patterns. Disrupted sleeping patterns make things worse: Behavioral patterns become irrational, mental alertness drops, and cognitive processing becomes difficult. Certain drugs like Risperidone for Schizophrenia and Catapres for PTSD require doctor’s approval before using.

Particular beds or mattresses can also aid those with degenerative and neurocognitive diseases. It is important to put a lot of focus for improving sleeping conditions because sleep provides physical recuperation and mental rest.

Takeaway

Dubbed as the most lethal sniper in the history of the U.S. Military, Chris Kyle was certainly a real life hero. He saved countless lives during his tour in Iraq by protecting convoys, providing cover fire, and security sweeps for both advancing and retreating units.

After retiring from military service, tragedy awaited Chris’s return. In a more bizarre twist of events, Chris Kyle offered to help Eddie Routh who was suffering from PTSD and Schizophrenia. Chris ultimately paid the price and was shot by Eddie using his “own” weapons.

If there’s a conclusion to this sad story, Eddie was convicted of murder and is currently in prison for life, without the possibility of parole. Chris would go on living as a hero inside the memories of the entire United States Army, and the people he saved.

Author Bio: Leslie Wyman is a writer and an interior designer by heart. She is very particular with how beds affect the physical and mental conditions of men and women in the military. In her free time, Leslie enjoys going to the gun range where she practices target shooting with her modified AR-15.

Related Posts:

  • National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness DayNational Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day
  • Army Initiating Collaborative Effort to Address TBI, PTSDArmy Initiating Collaborative Effort to Address TBI, PTSD
  • One Man’s Toy Can Save Another Soldier’s LifeOne Man’s Toy Can Save Another Soldier’s Life
  • Most Common Mental Illnesses the Modern Veteran Will FaceMost Common Mental Illnesses the Modern Veteran Will Face
  • The Difference Between a TBI and PTSDThe Difference Between a TBI and PTSD
  • HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius statement on PTSD Awareness MonthHHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius statement on PTSD Awareness…

Comments

Filed Under: Community

  • News
  • Enlist
  • Education
  • Career
  • Finance

Cyber Command Expects Lessons From 2018 Midterms to Apply in 2020

FEBRUARY 15, 2019 – Efforts to protect the 2018 midterm elections from foreign interference are expected to be studied and reapplied to protect the November 2020 elections, the commander of U.S. Cyber Command said on Capitol Hill today. During testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone told lawmakers that protecting […]

Army Secretary Honors Top Recruiters

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 – Traveling about half the time of the year as a recruiter, Staff Sgt. Jon McCoy heavily relies on his wife to take care of their toddler and home. “The whole reason why I’m here is the support that my wife is able to provide,” he said Monday afternoon before a ceremony […]

How TAP Helps Transitioning Service Members Navigate the Intricacies of Higher Education

NOVEMBER 20, 2018 – Navigating the intricacies of higher education can be a challenge – and transitioning service members and veterans have many obstacles to traverse to achieve success – but there is help available. Melinda Manyx, curriculum program manager, Department of Defense (DoD), Transition to Veterans Program Office (TVPO), spoke to conference attendees at […]

New Army App Provides Mobile Access to HR, Pay Records

FEBRUARY 13, 2019 – The Army has released a new human resources mobile application for the Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A) that allows Soldiers to access their personnel records using a mobile phone or tablet. IPPS-A is the Army’s next generation human resources and pay system that revolutionizes the way the Army […]

Federal Tax Changes for Military, Spouses

JANUARY 28, 2019 – Most service members and their families will see a reduction in their tax bills this year, but there are a number of changes in U.S. federal tax laws that they need to be aware of, said Army Lt. Col. Dave Dulaney, the executive director of the Pentagon’s Armed Forces Tax Council. […]

Recent Posts

  • Cyber Command Expects Lessons From 2018 Midterms to Apply in 2020
  • Army Fields New Handgun System to Military Police
  • Navy to Commission Littoral Combat Ship Tulsa
  • DOD Unveils Its Artificial Intelligence Strategy
  • Army May Use Nutritionists, Sports Trainers to Boost Readiness
MAINMENU


SITESEARCH
Can't find something? Try using our site search to dig through our entire site.



Still having trouble? Try the Advanced Search to refine your searches.
NEWSLETTERSUBSCRIBE
Sign Up To Receive Information, Updates and Special Officers from MilitarySpot.com.



Don't miss an issue! Jump in the Newsletter Archives to catch up on previous issues.
FOLLOWMILITARY SPOT

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & StumbleUpon and more. Keep up with MilitarySpot.com news & updates. We also have an RSS Feed.

Advertise | About | Write for Us | Contact | Feedback | Recruiter Network | Unsubscribe | DMCA | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
 
Copyright 2004-2019 Sun Key Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

This is a private website that is not affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces, or Department of Veterans Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site is not connected with any government agency. If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, please visit the official U.S. government web site for veterans benefits at http://www.va.gov.

 
This is not the official recruiting website of the U.S. Military. The site you are on is run by Sun Key Publishing, a private company, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with the U.S. Military.