The Green Alert Act is intended to help at-risk military personnel and veterans

INDIANAPOLIS – Many veterans face a variety of challenges ranging from physical injuries to mental illness and homelessness to substance abuse.

A new law in the state of Indiana is now intended to help at-risk veterans and military personnel.

Dr. Lionel Rush is a veteran and leader of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Greater Indianapolis.

“Serving this country was very, very important to us,” Rush said.

He and seven of his brothers served.

But in Indiana there is a critical problem that affects many of our veterans.

“Physically, her body came back, but her spirit didn’t,” Rush said. “I hear the same thing from Gulf War and Afghanistan veterans. I hear the same story because you can’t forget things.”

State lawmakers have passed a bill during the 2024 legislative session to help at-risk veterans. It’s called the Green Alert Law and is similar to the Amber Alert system. It notifies people that a veteran is missing and needs help. The new alert could be crucial for veterans who suffer from the sights and sounds that can occur during the Fourth of July holiday.

“Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among veterans, especially younger veterans, so I think having tools to let law enforcement know that there is a person in their community who has served our country and is in crisis and needs help is a really important first step,” said Emmy Hildebrand of Helping Veterans and Families.

HVAF knows firsthand the challenges many veterans face.

“The reality is that 80% of the veterans we care for at HVAF have a diagnosis of mental health or substance abuse issues,” Hildebrand said. “So we can either have tools in place to help veterans when they’re struggling, or we can pretend it’s not happening and then put them at greater risk of something terrible happening.”

“It is very, very important to me that people who volunteer to serve this nation and put themselves in danger in the process are respected when they return to America,” Rush said.