Chief Chris Kyle
USN, Co-Founder, President and CEO
Chief Chris Kyle (USN, honorably discharged in 2009) is one of the top snipers in the history of the American armed forces. He served multiple combat tours in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2003, he earned Naval Special Warfare Sniper status. His extensive combat experience includes sniping, close-quarters battle, reconnaissance, long-range desert patrols, personal security and the training of foreign allies. In addition to working and training with the elite Navy SEALs, Chief Kyle has also served with units from the Army, Marine Corps and other government agencies.
Chief Kyle’s service in combat earned him two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation with Valor, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals with Valor. Additionally, he was awarded the Grateful Nation Award, submitted by SOCOM and given by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs.
Sniping is Chief Kyle’s primary area of expertise. Following his combat deployments, the Navy assigned Chief Kyle to be the Sniper Instructor for the West Coast Training Detachment. He was the chief instructor for training Naval Special Warfare Sniper and Counter-Sniper teams prior to operational deployments. He is also the author of the Naval Special Warfare Sniper Doctrine, which is the first Navy SEAL sniper manual.
In addition to serving as Craft’s President and CEO, Chief Kyle is also one of Craft’s primary instructors.
About Us
© Craft International 2010, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Craft aims to serve the training and security needs of military personnel, law enforcement officers, corporations and private citizens. The company was formed in 2009 by the coming together of two of the best sniper operators in the world with a shared vision of creating a world-class training and security organization.
Crime, terrorism and military conflict are pervasive across the globe. Craft recognizes that now, more than ever, military organizations, law enforcement and law-abiding citizens of the U.S. and its allies must be prepared to the highest possible standard to defend their families, homes and their freedom against a wide array of constantly-evolving enemies. Furthermore, with the multiple demands placed on our armed forces, it is increasingly difficult for many military units to get the range time necessary to fully prepare them for the challenges and hardships of combat.
Chris Kyle, an eleven-year Navy SEAL and sniper instructor, and Mark Spicer, a 25-year veteran of the British army and leading expert on the topic of sniping, believe it is their duty to help meet this need. With support from a small group of dedicated and patriotic investors, these two warriors brought their vision to life in 2009.
Craft is headquartered in Dallas, TX. The company operates a training facility near Kingman, Arizona and is constructing a facility near Dallas. We are currently seeking training contracts around the world.
Sgt. Major Mark Spicer
(British Army, ret.)
Co-Founder, EVP and Chief Training Officer
Sgt. Major Mark Spicer (British Army, ret.) is a 25 years veteran of the British army, serving with specialist units, and as a sniper and sniper Platoon Commander for over 20 years. He has authored three world-renowned books on sniping and is perhaps the world’s foremost expert on the subject.
Over the course of his military career, Sgt. Major Spicer served on deployments all over the world with both British and UN forces. In 1995, he was made a senior instructor for the British Army Sniper Division, where he trained both British and foreign soldiers in the skill of sniping and wrote the British Army Sniper Doctrine (the British Army’s sniper field manual). By invitation, Sgt. Major Spicer went on to qualify as a U.S. Marine Corps Advanced Sniper and Sniper Employment Officer, and periodically served as a guest instructor at the USMC Sniper School. He was also invited to attend the German Army Mountain Sniper course, which he successfully completed. As a Company Sergeant Major, he established and commanded his unit’s sniper platoon.
While serving as a Battalion Weapons Training Warrant Officer (a senior training position for a 750-man Infantry unit), Sgt. Major Spicer served as an expert witness for the FBI in the high-profile Washington D.C. Sniper trial in 2002. His testimony helped lead to the successful conviction and subsequent execution of the Washington D.C. Sniper.
Since retiring from the military, Sgt. Major Spicer has trained a number of U.S. military and law enforcement units, as well as a Scandinavian sniper unit. He also served as an advisor to the Royal Office of King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, whereby he created, selected and trained the Royal Guard Counter-Sniper Unit.
As Chief Training Officer for Craft, he is responsible for the development and implementation of all training programs offered. He will also serve as Craft’s chief instructor.
