Welcome to Cadets: Rescued to Help Save Others

by Warren L. Maye

“I thought He was supposed to rescue me by taking me out of my circumstances, by taking me out of the hurt. But He doesn’t always rescue me from the storm. He rescued me through the storm.”

With those words, Cadet Corey Grosjean set the tone for Welcome to Cadets 2026, a weekend centered on God’s rescuing grace and His call to a life of service.

(Photo/Lu Lu Rivera)

Standing before hundreds gathered at the College for Officer Training (CFOT), Grosjean shared a story marked by pain, loss, and redemption. Growing up in a household of 13 children, he experienced firsthand the chaos created by addiction. Faith was absent from his childhood, and survival often meant escaping into long solitary walks through town just to avoid the turmoil at home.

A turning point came at a Christian camp, where he first heard the words, “Jesus loves you.” Soon afterward, an officer from The Salvation Army invited him to a youth group. When the Army van pulled into his driveway, he said, he experienced something unfamiliar: He felt loved.

Over time, God transformed not only his life but his family. His mother found sobriety, and a relationship once defined by pain became one of trust and friendship. But years later, illness claimed her life. As he stood beside her during her final days, Grosjean encountered God’s presence in a profound way.

“The little boy who didn’t know Jesus is now being trained to preach Jesus,” he said.

(Photo/Lu Lu Rivera)

The meaning of rescued

His testimony reflected the theme woven throughout the weekend: God rescues people not by erasing their stories, but by redeeming them. Grosjean’s story was just one from the members of the Rescued session. Through a video, other cadets described God’s intervention in lives marked by grief, depression, fear, and spiritual darkness.

Though each story was unique, all pointed to the same truth: God’s grace changes lives. Cadet Soriani Gonzalez spoke of a desire to reach people who feel hopeless or forgotten. Cadet Emily Kahn expressed her hope that God would use her life to help rescue others. Cadet Gabriel Gomez spoke of carrying the gospel to the world through preaching and ministry.

Their testimonies revealed not only where God had brought them from, but also where He was leading them.

(Photo/Lu Lu Rivera)

An international presence

Before Grosjean spoke, worshippers had gathered for an evening marked by praise, prayer, and expectation. The New York Staff Band Ensemble, Unbound, and the Territorial Arts Ministries team opened the meeting. The congregation joined in singing “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven,” led by Chief Secretary Colonel Stewart Dalrymple.

Commissioner Ralph Bukiewicz, Territorial Commander, welcomed attendees and reminded them that their presence was no accident. “I believe that regardless of the travel or schedule changes required to get here, you are present by divine appointment,” he said.

(Photo/Lu Lu Rivera)

The event also carried international significance with the participation of Commissioners Eddie and Genevera Vincent, international secretaries representing the Office of the General. Their presence underscored the global nature of Salvation Army mission and ministry.

(Photo/Lu Lu Rivera)

The wonder of God’s work

Training Principal Lt. Colonel James LaBossiere introduced the 15 members of the session. Drawn from seven divisions and a variety of professional backgrounds, they arrived at the College for Officer Training through different circumstances but shared the same commitment to follow God’s call.

LaBossiere noted that 13 of the 15 cadets first encountered Christ through Salvation Army ministry, whether through a corps, Sunday school, or camp program. Their stories served as a reminder of the lasting impact of local ministry and discipleship.

Addressing the cadets, LaBossiere encouraged them to embrace the opportunities ahead.

“Grow in the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. “Learn all you can about yourselves to learn all you can about what Jesus has in store for you personally.”

Bukiewicz challenged the cadets to guard against losing sight of God’s grace in the years to come.

“One of the great temptations you will face during the years ahead is forgetting the wonder of what God has done,” Bukiewicz said. “May you never forget who you are. May you never lose the wonder of God’s grace. May you never stop trusting the One who called you.”

(Photo/Lu Lu Rivera)

Are you fishing?

That challenge was reinforced by Commissioner Eddie Vincent, whose message centered on the meaning of rescue.

Drawing on personal experiences of being trapped in an elevator and falling through ice as a child, he described moments when he was completely dependent upon someone else for deliverance. Those examples became illustrations of humanity’s deeper need for spiritual rescue.

God, he said, is the Rescuer.

But Vincent’s message did not stop there. He urged the audience to recognize that those who have been rescued are called to participate in God’s mission of rescuing others.

(Photo/Lu Lu Rivera)

The message was clear: God is the Rescuer, and we are the rescued. But the narrative took a sharp, challenging turn with the parable of the fishermen. Reading from a published article, he described a group of people who called themselves fishermen, built grand buildings for fishing, held meetings about fishing, and even wrote books on the psychology of fish, yet never actually went fishing. It was a stinging indictment of complacency. The question hung in the air: Are you a fisherman if you never fish?

The room shifted from reflection to action. The call was issued: The rescue mission is not a suggestion; it is a mandate. The congregation joined in song, their voices rising with the chorus “I Speak Jesus,” a declaration of their commitment to go public with their faith.

(Photo/Eli Morgan)

The great adventure

The Welcome to Cadets weekend extended beyond Friday night’s public meeting as prospective candidates gathered for a Candidates’ Seminar designed to help them explore God’s direction for their lives.

Throughout the weekend, participants learned about officer training, Salvation Army doctrine, and the realities of ministry. Campus tours, panel discussions, workshops, Q&As, and informal conversations provided opportunities to ask questions and gain a clearer understanding of officership.

(Photo/Eli Morgan)

For many, the seminar served as a time of discernment.

Isaiah Dixon described learning more about leadership opportunities within the Army and discovering ways to help develop others. Captain Larry Fulmer called the weekend a pivotal experience for those seeking clarity about God’s calling. Brooklyn Field said the seminar reaffirmed a commitment she had already made to pursue officership.

(Photo/Eli Morgan)

The weekend emphasized that calling is not limited by age, background, or previous experience. Speakers repeatedly encouraged participants to trust God’s timing and take the next faithful step.

As the gathering ended, prayer became the final response to all that had been heard and experienced.

Those considering God’s call were invited to surrender their plans, uncertainties, and fears to Him. They were reminded that obedience often begins before every question has been answered.

(Photo/Eli Morgan)

“You have already gone to the place that you call us,” the closing prayer declared. “You are there waiting for us.”

For the members of the Rescued session and for the many candidates exploring their future, Welcome to Cadets 2026 was more than an event. It was a reminder that God still interrupts lives with grace, still calls ordinary people into extraordinary service, and still sends rescued people into the world to help rescue others.