What is it like to be married to America's deadliest sniper? INSIDE EDITION finds out.
Chris Kyle is America's deadliest sniper.
Kyle is a former Navy Seal who holds the U.S. Military's all-time record for confirmed sniper kills - 150.
He's an elite warrior just like his fellow Navy Seals who rescued American aid worker, Jessica Buchanan from Somali pirates and staged the daring raid that took out Osama Bin Laden.
Now we're learning about the personal sacrifice an American hero like Kyle must make.
"Its my duty to serve my country. I always put country before my family and that definitly caused tension," Kyle tells INSIDE EDITION.
His autobiography, American Sniper, is number one on the New York Times best seller list. It's a gripping account of how the stress of war put his own marriage in the cross hairs.
His wife Taya tells INSIDE EDITION, "My heart couldn't take it any more and our life was falling apart."
Taya says she was proud of her husband but always lived in constant fear for his life, especially after she learned that terrorists in Iraq had placed a $20,000 bounty on his head.
"He was never safe. It didn't matter if there was a bounty or there was never a bounty," says Taya.
Chris became a battlefield legend. He was awarded two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars, all with valor.
But back home, Taya had reached her breaking point.
"I do remember sitting down at the table with him, it was our kitchen table and feeling terrified. Telling him, 'I couldn't do it any more'," says Taya.
Ten years of continuous combat took its toll on Chris as well.
"I could not bring myself to ask him to stop. It was his dream job," says Taya.
Chris finally realized his wife needed a husband and their kids needed a dad. So he retired from the Navy Seals.
Now he hopes his story will help Americans understand the sacrifices made by the heroes who brought down Bin Laden and saved Jessica Buchanan.
Chris humbly says, "The only reason I look good is I'm surrounded by heroes."
