Jessica Buchanan and Poul Thisted were aid workers operating in Northern Somalia in 2011. The pair were attempting to spread awareness on the threat of landmines and guidance on how to avoid them. In October, the pair traveled to Galkayo, a region that was known to be more dangerous than others at the time, and were captured by Somali pirates at gunpoint. For 93 days, the pair were held in captivity and were moved to different locations on as many as 40 or 50 occasions. Buchanan, who has a thyroid condition, began to develop a liver infection but was refused medicine. It also didn't help that Buchanan and Thisted were forced to sleep on uncomfortable mats in the open desert. With her conditioning worsening, tactical planners decided to move forward with a rescue plan. A troop of approximately 40 DEVGRU Blue Squadron operators, aided by members of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, received actionable intelligence on the whereabouts of their hostages. On Monday, January 23, 2012, the assault force boarded a USAF C-130 and conducted a freefall jump onto a dropzone within the vicinity of the target. The assault force patrolled to target, and before long, reached the objective. Gunfire rang out, but the 9 guards on target were swiftly dealt with by the raid force. One of the SEALs reached Buchanan's hut and announced: "we're the American military, we're here to save you and take you home". The assaulters gave her medicine and were about to leave until she told them that she left a memory of her late mother behind. "I can't believe I did this, but I had a small little powder bag that they had let me keep, and inside I had re-stolen from them a ring that my mom had made, and I thought, 'I can't leave it here in the desert'. And so, I ask him to go back and get the bag back for me. And, I mean, these men are just, they're incredible. He goes back out, into a warzone basically, to go get my ring. Then he comes back with the bag." The assault force exfiltrated via helicopter with the hostages in tow. Thisted and Buchanan were turned over to the U.S. Air Force and cared for at a hospital in Djibouti before being repatriated. - - -
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