Covell enlisted in the
Michigan National Guard on April 6, 1892. On June 26, 1895, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Covell served as a captain in the Spanish–American War, advanced to major in 1900 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1911. Covell became a brigadier general in the National Guard on February 7, 1917, and the
National Army on August 5, 1917. He served during WWI in the
American Expeditionary Force, commanding the 63rd Infantry Brigade. Covell received the French
Croix de Guerre for his service and was discharged on February 17, 1919. ==Later life and career==