By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class
Geneva G. Brier, Naval Special Warfare Public Affairs
JULIAN, Calif. (NNS) -- The Navy SEAL
Foundation sponsored a Teen Camp for 23 Naval Special Warfare (NSW) teenagers
Aug. 5-10 at "Camp Marston."
The teen camp provided a six-day venue
for NSW teens to come together for fun, team-building, and an opportunity to
build and develop resilience skills.
NSW families piloted the same camp concept
last year and has offered three additional camps this summer, including a Gold
Star camp, designed for the children of the NSW fallen. The purpose of the camp
is to instill aspects of resiliency, leadership, confidence building and is
designed to be a place for NSW kids to come together and relate with one
another.
"The community realizes that the
kids also take on the burden for being at war for 10 years," said Steve
Gilmore, NSW Family Support Program director. "The kids are dealing with
things that most kids don't have to worry about."
The camps are staffed by professional
counselors assisted by Families Overcoming Under Stress (FOCUS) personnel and
Military Family Life counselors (MFLCs).
"As the counselors we try to focus
on fun and camp activities," said Jewlz Romulado, a Camp Marston
counselor. "The kids deal with the military and war every day; this is a
worry-free getaway for them."
Each day the camp's itinerary includes a
team-building exercise, an adventure activity, and a friendly competition. Each
day before 'lights out,' the campers participate in a reflection session which
allows them to speak as a group about the pros and cons throughout the day.
"This camp is all about the kids,
each day we just try to focus on them and make each day better than the
previous one," said Romulado.
The camp concluded with a presentation
of honorary certificates making each camper a plankowner, meaning they were
present during the first year of the camp's origination.
"Everyone who has been associated
with the planning and coordination of the NSW Teen Camp including the camp
staff, NSW Family Support, and the kids and parents can only be described as
amazing," said Gilmore. "It really is an amazing opportunity and
program for amazing kids."
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