About 200 Americans are taken hostage or wrongfully detained each year across the globe. Fran Racioppi traveled to Old Town Alexandria for a conversation on keeping America's promise to its citizens with former hostage Jessica Buchanan and Hostage US Executive Director Liz Cathcart.

Jessica shares her story of being kidnapped by some of the very children she went to Somalia to educate. She explains how she coped with detention and complete loss of control over her life, including her last night in captivity that went from a surreal quiet, to gunfire, to rescue by Navy SEAL Team 6.

Liz shares the four pillars of support Hostage US provides. She describes the difficulty reintegration brings and how Hostage US supplies the necessary resources to help all involved cope with redefining their lives after captivity. 

Pick up a copy of Jessica's book, Impossible Odds and her new book Deserts to Mountaintops. Follow her on social media @jessicabuchanan and on the web at jessicabuchanan.com. 

Go to hostageus.org to support American hostages, detainees, and their families, as they cope with captivity and reintegration. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Old Town Alexandria
• 4:44 The mission of Hostage US
• 8:55 Africa Jess
• 13:20 The first hours of captivity
• 21:50 What gave captives and families strength
• 28:28 Rescued by SEAL Team 6
• 37:19 The challenges of reintegration
• 44:04 Hostage US 2023 goals
• 45:27 Deserts to Mountaintops
• 47:11 Liz and Jess share their three daily foundations

Quotes: 

• “Hostage US is a NGO. We support families of Americans taken hostage abroad or wrongfully detained by state actors.” (5:50)
• “The cases that are particularly impactful and challenging to manage are those terrorist and wrongful detention cases that last for a long time.” (8:08)
• “Our car was overtaken by armed men…and that moment, it changed the rest of my life.” (13:13) 
• “Somewhere I remembered that if I lived through the first 48 hours then they probably weren’t going to kill me. (15:06)
• “I knew I needed IV’s. I needed antibiotics. I needed a doctor.” (30:39)
•  “For many of us we feel like we have to come back and we have to start all over.” (39:44)
• “I’m really committed to supporting and empowering women to reclaim their voices.” (46:20)

Jessica’s Three Daily Foundations to Success

• Maintain a Sacred Start
• Prayer, journal and visualize
• Display gratitude

Liz’s Three Daily Foundations to Success

• Hydrate
• Know your limitations and bring in experts
• Over-communicate

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions