By Peter Parlagreco
On 5 December 2025, it was an absolute pleasure to attend the University of Michigan
Wolverine Battalion Army ROTC Dining In, supported by the Barger Leadership Institute (BLI).
The Wolverine Battalion’s Dining In is an annual tradition dedicated to accomplishing three
important goals: reflect on the past semester’s training, build relationships and camaraderie,
and announce the Army component and branch that senior cadets will be going into post
graduation. This year’s Dining In delivered on all three of these goals. And, as a senior cadet
myself, I would easily say it was our best Dining In since my time joining the Wolverine Battalion
in 2022.
A BLI leadership habit that stood out during Dining In was to reflect. This semester, we
accomplished a great deal. In August, we welcomed the leadership of a new Professor of
Military Science, Major James Maskovyak, along with over 30 new cadets. Early on, we became
a cohesive unit and grew even closer together over time. After each training session we held, we
conducted an after action review to gather feedback and suggestions to enable continuous
improvement. By allowing others to weigh in, the leadership team was able to generate buy-in,
which ultimately meant that feedback became more constructive and less critical by the end of
the semester. Reflecting doesn’t only improve our program, it gives us a chance to recognize our
growth and set shared goals.
A new addition to this year’s Dining In was a video that captured some of these reflections. A
production team of 2 cadets collected and combined other cadets’ personal experiences and
opinions, and created a capstone video. This creative addition not only showcased the habit of
collecting, combining, and creating, but also made the evening even more memorable.
The last part of Dining In, announcing the components and branches of each senior cadet,
demonstrated the importance of valuing difference. Each component (active duty, national
guard, or reserve) and branch (ranging across a plethora of areas, i.e. from infantry to finance),
is tailored to each individual senior cadet’s interests and strengths. Consequently, recognition of
these distinct paths helps the Wolverine Battalion grow stronger, as each cadet, from freshman
to senior, learns from the diverse experiences, aspirations, and skill sets within the program.
This year’s Dining-In highlights 3 key BLI habits that are incredibly important for me to consider
as I prepare to graduate and commission to serve as an Active Duty Signal Officer. As a leader, I
will benefit by continuing to reflect, embracing opportunities to collect/combine/create, and
intentionally valuing difference; habits that will shape the kind of officer I strive to become.
