Nine cadets arrive at college to begin the 2026 ‘Rescued’ session
- deansimpson7
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
There is a palpable buzz of excitement across The Salvation Army community, putting smiles of many faces. Why? Oh, that’s easy! One of the largest intakes of cadets in recent years – nine in total – arrives in Melbourne this week to begin a life-changing journey toward officership, a long-held dream for many. Salvos Online journalist LERISSE SMITH spoke with Captain Kylie Herring, Leader Officer Formation at Eva Burrows College, who reflected on the excitement of new beginnings, the challenges ahead, the dynamic process of growth, and the reminder that maturity can’t be microwaved.
The 2026 cadets of the Rescued session:
Caleb Gorringe – Long Jetty Corps (NSW)
Jessica Gorringe – Long Jetty Corps (NSW)
Chantal Tait – Kwinana Corps (WA)
Mike Salomo – Macarthur Corps (NSW)
Rachelle Atkinson – Mandurah Corps (WA)
Reuben Van Gaalen – Coffs Harbour Corps (NSW)
Yasmin Van Gaalen-Prentice – Waverley Corps (Vic.)
Bramwell Nemhara – Perth Fortress (WA)
Wati Seeto – (Fiji)
Kylie, what excites you most about welcoming this new batch of cadets?
Lots of things excite me when we start a new year in officer formation. Top of the list this year is that it is a large batch! The Rescued session is the largest session our territory has had for some time. It is certainly an answer to prayer, and we are thankful for corps officers across the territory working to identify, equip and empower emerging leaders.
Each intake brings something unique. What stands out to you about this year’s cohort?
The answer to that would be having three cadets from the WA Division. We’ve only had two cadets from WA since I commenced in my role in 2022 – so having three all together in the one session is terrific for us and for them. They will have session-mates close by, which we hope will make them feel less isolated.
What do you hope cadets discover about themselves during their training and formation?
There isn’t a short answer to that question! There is always a lot to discover and uncover when you pay attention to how you are forming across the three spheres – personal and spiritual, mission and ministry, education and theological, and then considering how you are integrating that learning into who you are and how you will minister and lead. We hope they would approach their own formation with curiosity and compassion and be willing to enlarge their sense of identity.
From your perspective, what key qualities are most important for cadets as they work towards becoming officers?
In a world now described as “super complex”, a key quality for just about anyone is to be a curious learner. One of our cadets talks about thinking like a scientist – which speaks to the need to be curious and open, to take care with your assumptions, to be aware of any biases, and to be careful in jumping to conclusions! Other qualities I would include on that list would be a commitment to growing in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, adaptive and strategic thinking, the ability to operate with flexibility, and an ability to tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty, and hold a sense of hope in the midst of navigating the super complexity of our cultural era.
How are cadets supported to grow not only professionally but also personally and spiritually throughout their training?
There are a lot of support structures in place for cadets. Through their university studies, cadets are supported by student services and by individual lecturers. (As an aside, the University of Divinity has for a few years running had the highest rating for student experience – which says something about the level of commitment to their students).
Cadets can access the resources of the officer formation staff; they are allocated an individual training officer and are also supported by their local placement supervising officer, who becomes a ministry coach for the cadet while they are on placement.
Cadets also begin professional supervision, which is a necessary part of the Reflective Practice and Supervised Theological Field Education units they undertake (required following the Royal Commission) – so that is another element of professional support they are introduced to, which then continues into their commissioned officership.
And what challenges do they commonly face? How does the college help them navigate these during their formation?
There are all kinds of challenges cadets face. Some of the major ones relate to managing transition. There is a lot of change to be navigated in the cadet formation journey – often an interstate relocation, leaving friends and family, setting up a new home, becoming familiar with a new location, joining a new faith community on a short term basis, learning a new suite of organisational processes, studying at a tertiary level, getting their head around a range of expectations from different spheres.
New cadets will typically set up a group chat where they share their challenges with each other. We have peer groups where life is shared, and there is structured learning along the way relating to navigating change and the range of transitions that come with officer life and life in general.
Can you speak to the role cadet placements play in their development, and what these experiences involve?
Our dispersed model of training functions in an apprentice-style mode. Cadets are on long placements (typically a year), and their week is a combination of study and ministry experience. They are learning all about the context of their placement – local culture and practice, and they are working with their Local Placement Officer to develop awareness and grow in both ministry practice and leadership skills.
What is one piece of advice you would encourage this year’s group to hold close as they begin their journey?
That there is great wisdom in cultivating a posture of openness. The process of formation can be disorienting at times, as there is so much ‘new’ coming your way – discovering new things about yourself, about the Bible, about God. Growth is a dynamic process. We have a saying in officer formation that “You can’t microwave maturity”. The journey of becoming – of growing up into Christ – takes a lifetime!
