So...a really interesting thing happened tonight before I got on shift. I go out to smoke a cigarette, notice someone else is in the smoke pit, and awkwardly try to give her space.

I'm about halfway through, and she starts to talk. She says "I just had the worst day today."

We start a conversation. She's been on the base for a year, only goes to work, doesn't know anybody. Keeps to herself. Her leave request to visit her dad just got cancelled. Her mom is in the psych ward. Her dad thinks she's having a fabulous life, but every day she's struggling. She joined the military to get far away from the sexual abuse of a family member. No one knows.

We're just kind of being nakedly honest about stuff. I tell her about how I tried to kill myself earlier this year. Her eyes widen. She reveals that she has a note, she has a plan, and was going to do it tonight if I hadn't talked to her just then. Tears are streaming down her face.

We smoke some cigarettes and talk for an hour. I try my best to share my insights, point her towards tools I've used to meet people, methods I've used to cope with anxiety, resources I used to get help. I told her that, no matter the repercussions, her mental health comes first. She's going first thing tomorrow morning. I tell her it's going to be okay, and that I'll be around if she needs to talk again.

I made a friend tonight. I may have saved somebody's life. It's just wild that whole worlds can open up when two strangers talk. I hope you're okay, Jazz. I hope to hear from you again.