Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Military Chaplain Jon Trainer Receives Bronze Star for Effective Muslim Sensitivity Training

Yes, the military is now awarding medals to servicemen who pander to Muslim sensitivities. So if you're in the military and you'd like a prestigious Bronze Star, just encourage your fellow soldiers to submit to Sharia.

Lt. Col. Jon Trainer
SPRINGFIELD — After the accidental burning last year of Qurans by U.S. troops in Afghanistan sparked deadly rioting, an Air National Guard chaplain from Springfield stepped in and potentially saved countless American lives.

For his effort, Lt. Col. Jon Trainer received the prestigious Bronze Star — a medal given for heroic or meritorious achievement in connection with operations against an armed enemy. And he did it with a PowerPoint presentation.

Trainer, who’s now in the running to be named Chaplain of the Year for the entire Air Guard, was in the third month of his voluntary deployment to Afghanistan last February when U.S. troops at Bagram Airfield mistakenly burned copies of the Muslim holy book.

The ensuing outrage claimed more than 30 lives, including two U.S. troops and two U.S. military advisers. Within 48 hours, Trainer developed a PowerPoint presentation on the proper handling and disposal of Islamic religious material that was seen by every American — military and civilian alike — in Afghanistan. The presentation then was distributed to the U.S. for use in all pre-deployment training.

“This entire mission,” Trainer said from his office at the Springfield Air National Guard Base, “could be undermined by an action like that.

“All that good work. You realize how quickly that work can be undermined.”

Trainer, a Westerville resident and nondenominational Christian pastor who’s been chaplain of the local 251st Cyber Engineering Installation Group since 2000, also sought to prevent any future problems by covering what constitutes Islamic religious material in the first place.

“When a Muslim writes down even a few verses from the Quran on a piece of paper,” he explained, “that immediately gets that same protected status.”

Ultimately, he said, it became an opportunity to demonstrate the importance of culture to U.S. troops and to show Afghanis that the U.S. could respond swiftly to their sensitivities.

“It’s pretty unusual for a chaplain to receive the Bronze Star,” said Col. Wade Rupper, Trainer’s acting commander at the Springfield Guard base. “He was a vital guy at the right time.”

Trainer, 51, will find out on April 1 if he’ll be named Chaplain of the Year. (Continue Reading.)

I wonder if any Muslim chaplains received medals for creating PowerPoints designed to show their fellow Muslims that they shouldn't go on killing sprees whenever someone offends their sensitivities.

15 comments:

akairey said...

this is a shame! Giving away Bronze Medals for mediocre achievements! This is Obama's new military. They're also wanting to give purple hearts to drone operators! What he's doing is devaluating the military! You'll see more of this coming!

AhmedisAhead said...

Usually we receive a more poignant analysis on this blog, but this one hits below the belt IMO.

Considering the context, this man is operating as a peacemaker (i.e. potentially saving innocent lives in the future, including those of his troops). Don't they give out purple hearts for stuff like that? Moreover, if a soldier's actions fall outside the scope of his/her mission or even jeopardizes the mission, as the article states, it seems commendable to cease the action in favor of the mission. Such is the duty of a soldier.

Are you suggesting it would be more commendable to promote Quran burning by our troops? Or, perhaps more realistically, that it is more commendable to stay silent in the midst of terrorism? In the least, he is responding to his enemy's violence and contempt with Christian kindness and humility while instructing those who are ignorant to understand the terrible but actual beliefs/practices of the Afghans. There are only so many options one has in his situation and to do what he did within a 48 hour window is quite laudable.

David Wood said...

Let's review.

(1) Military burns some pages that were being used by terrorists to send messages.

(2) Muslims find out that some of the pages were pages of the Qur'an.

(3) Muslims go on killing spree.

(4) U.S. puts all personnel in Afghanistan through sensitivity training.

Get the point? Who's doing the wrong here? It's the people going on the killing spree. By putting everyone through sensitivity training, the military makes it seems as if this is the soldiers' fault. And it isn't . . . at all.

Suppose I get offended by your comment, so I go out and kill a bunch of people. Do you think you should have to go through sensitivity training so that you don't offend me again?

Eugene said...

I wonder if this guy had the integrity to refuse to accept the bronze star, as accepting it would be an to every soldier who's ever served in combat. And if he didn't refuse it, he isn't fit to serve as a chaplain in the US Army, let alone be named "chaplain of the year."

This is another Obama disgrace.

goethechosemercy said...

The West is acting like a battered wife.

Chief Mac said...

Let me see - creating a Power Point presentation within 48 hours is equal to charging an enemy position to save lives? Not when I was in the Army - the Bronze Star used to mean something.

As for appeasing the Muslim horde - the job of the military is to defeat them - not appease them

Chief Mac said...

Here is the criteria for awarding the Bronze Star:

Any person whom while serving in any way in or with the United States military after 6 December 1941, that distinguished himself or herself apart from his or her comrades by brave or praiseworthy achievement or service, that did not include participation in aerial flight. The act justifying award of the medal must be performed while fighting an enemy of the United States, or while involved in conflict with an opposing/foreign force. It can also be awarded for heroism while serving with friendly forces engaged in combat against an opposing military in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

Heroism carried out under acts as described, which are of a lesser degree than those awarded of the Silver Star, will justify the award of the Bronze Star Medal.

And creation of a Power Point presentation within 48 hours is within this criteria? According to what moron?

The task of the military is to defeat the Muslim horde - not appease them

Anonymous said...
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Unknown said...

This is an absolute disgrace to those that have received their medals from acts if valor, and heroism under fire. As for the Col it says allot about his character if he accepts it. It truly is disgusting what the liberals have done to our Armed Forces. Thank god I'm out.

AhmedisAhead said...

Points taken, and I agree with them.

Hopefully we can agree that it was not wrong for the Chaplain to hold the training (seeing as how the soldiers did NOT follow proper protocol with the Quran, thus leading the incident), but that it IS wrong for the military to award him the Bronze Star for it.

To do so is tantamount to political correctness toward the terrorists, Muslim community, and liberal media and administration by counting a small good as a very great good.

Bottom line: Those involved did not follow established procedure and were sloppy in their disposal of enemy messages. This doesn't justify the violence which followed, but does provide an opportunity for correction on our part prior to lamenting about a hoped-for apology from the terrorists which will never come.

surj said...

Why don't you Americans realise that you are being Islamized slowly but surely, now when are they going to teach Quran to American soldiers? I think America is doomed see www.thereligionofpeace.com and www.compassdirect.org

ellie said...

I'm so ashamed of what is happening inside the US government under the Obama regime. We have been infiltrated by the enemy.

Unknown said...

Inusan,
Are paper cuts the new criteria for the Purple Heartt???

Yusuf Alamo said...

May Allah guide all humanity to right noble action, aameen.

Foolster41 said...

Yusef: That sounds like an odd prayer. I'm not sure what you mean by it. Are you praying that Allah guide your co-religionists to disobey his prophet who commanded dire penalties for mocking of Islam? Is this a prayer that non-believers behave more dhimmi-like and docile like those who gave this award? This post reads like a cheap advertisement (i.e. spam) rather than actually talking about the the topic at hand.