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| LIFE IN SOLERA | JUNE 2025 | 47 Solera's packages have gone all over the world. From as close as Cuba to as far away as the Middle East, to Kyrgyzstan, on the doorstep of Russia, to the island nations of Japan and Australia, your support has reached the men and women, who keep us safe and free. I must say, one of my favorite places is our troops in Kosovo. We actually started supporting our troops there within six months of Kosovo declaring their independence on February 17, 2008. It had been a province/state of Serbia. The whole area of Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and other states were part of Yugoslavia and had been controlled by Russia, starting in 1945. We were on the ground f loor of supporting some of the early troops arriving in that country. Our first package was sent in August 2008. In October, 2008 we began supporting Lieutenant Colonel Julie Hosmer and her group of 105 troops. Kosovo is nine hours ahead of us in time. She and I exchanged many email messages during her stay. I would send a message, and within a few minutes she would reply, very much like today's texting. Her stay was over the Christmas holidays. We must have spent a couple of hours sending messages, her in her vacant office on Christmas morning, and me in my home office. During her stay, we mailed over a dozen packages. Some of the packages contained food, snacks, hygiene items, Christmas decorations, children's clothing, toys and school supplies, to be given to the locals and golf clubs and golf balls for her team. Just before leaving, in one of our long conversations she told me about the Inspecting General pinning her with "full Bird Colonel wings," and offering her a job stateside as part of his staff. Another Kosovo soldier I remember fondly, was SFC Ronald Reed, who happened to be friends with Solera's Sue Ann Summers. Some of you Solera old timers may remember Sue Ann. She had been an HOA Board member and organized many "Life In Solera" troop fundraising dinners. A gentleman, living in Sun Lakes, donated his large collection of baseball caps. I shipped them to SFC Reed. When out on patrol he would give them to the locals, even if he had to cross a plowed to hand it to a farmer. Thank you for caring. ~ Jesse Donardt SUPPORT OUR TROOPS Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo