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Pentagon Chaplain Joins American Bible Society as Director of Armed Services Ministry

News Release

American Bible Society
1865 Broadway
New York, NY 10023

Contact:

Amy Huffman
The DeMoss Group
p. (770) 813-0000
m. (404) 545-1191
m. (404) 775-4026

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New York, New York -- March 17, 2011

Col. Rev. Dr. James Puchy recently retired as the commandant and director of sustainment and information for the Army Chief of Chaplains at the Pentagon to join American Bible Society as the organization’s executive director of Armed Services Ministry. 
 
Puchy knows firsthand the needs of members of the military and their families as a result of serving in the U.S. Army for more than 32 years. He will lead American Bible Society's efforts to provide the 1.4 million active members of military, the 1.9 million military families and the 23 million U.S. veterans with hope, encouragement, peace and comfort through the Bible. 

"With two wars currently going on - in Iraq and Afghanistan, the longest war in U.S. history - our military and their families need support now more than ever," said Puchy. "While serving alongside our nation’s servicemen and women, I came to learn how trying it can be to live on the front lines of war. I want to share with those dealing with the mental and emotional effects of war the solace I experienced through the words of God found in the Bible." 
 
Puchy entered the military in 1978 after being commissioned from Rutgers University's ROTC as a second lieutenant in the air defense artillery. During his career, he worked his way up the ranks of the army, serving in various roles as an air defense artillery officer including battalion intelligence officer, executive officer, brigade plans officer and battery commander. As a chaplain, Puchy trained army chaplains in 16 training brigades and founded churches in Honolulu, Fort Monroe, Va. and Fort Belvoir, Va. For more information, read Col. Rev. Dr. James Puchy’s bio here.

"The experience James Puchy brings to our team will allow American Bible Society to further strengthen its ability to provide current and former service members and their families with resources to help them cope with the intense challenges they face," said Lamar Vest, president of American Bible Society.
 
Currently, American Bible Society works with military through the following programs:

• Engage Your Strengths, an assessment which equips military service members, chaplains and religious program specialists to maximize their God-given talents and build stronger communities 
• "God Understands" Series, a series of themed booklets, based on the eight-point spiritual injury scale developed by VA chaplains, that provide scriptural guidance for Veterans and their families; each booklet addresses one of the following topics: anger, grief, doubt, guilt, fear of death, a sense that life is unfair, hopelessness and meaninglessness 
• Military E100, a Bible-reading plan with versions customized specifically for active-duty service members and spouses of active-duty service members; the plan outlines 50 passages from the Old Testament and 50 from the New Testament to give the big picture of the Bible without getting bogged down 
• Scripture Provision, a program providing free (including shipping) Bible resources to all military service members and veterans 

About the American Bible Society

Headquartered in New York City, the 193-year-old American Bible Society exists to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so that all people may experience its life-changing message.

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