One morning while speaking about our C4 Programs with our Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Glenn Fox, he brought up the topic of transitions… that word stuck with me the rest of the day. It dawned on me at that moment that if there was a theme for SEAL family life, it could be defined by the word “Transitions.” SEAL families are quite familiar with transitions. In fact, most of military life is full of them. There are assignments to the next duty station, shifts between work-up to deployment, adjustments returning home from deployment to a whole new job, and a constant switch between dual parents and single parent households. It is a never-ending cycle. As a result of endless maneuvering, our SEAL families are in constant flux both physically and emotionally.
Our mission statement defines our goal perfectly, “To Strengthen and Preserve NAVY SEAL Families”. You hear this phrase a lot here at the C4 Foundation. Within that objective of “Preserving the Family” fits the task of aiding the families through these endless transitions in military life through the creation of a neuroscience-based program that fosters communication, gratitude, and resiliency in the SEAL family unit. Dr. Glenn Fox has built a robust and enduring program that equips SEAL families with tools to navigate these ever-present and often difficult changes. The programs take place at a 560-acre property in northeast San Diego County, aptly named the C4 Ranch. Over the past two and a half years we have hosted hundreds of SEALs and their families, and we intend to host over a thousand annually. Our plan is to provide a sanctuary to combat the constant stress that is placed on our SEAL families. We are grateful to everyone who supports our mission, both past and present.
By Jennifer Cooper, MS Psychology,
C4’s Director of Programs
