FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — With 33 years of Army service, Sgt. 1st Class Charles Overly — the 3rd Chemical Brigade’s NCO in charge of operations — has been wearing an Army uniform longer than many of the new recruits arriving here have been alive.
Enlisting in 1989, having three combat tours and both active-duty and Pennsylvania National Guard experience, Overly has guided Soldiers of all ranks and positions through advice and support. One of those Soldiers is Capt. Mical Botta, commander of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment.
In 2013, Overly was a squad leader with Company B, 84th Chemical Battalion here, when a young private showed up at the unit. Noticing her natural ability to lead, he assigned her to be the platoon guide, or PG — a Soldier-in-training given a leadership role among their platoon and tasked with information dissemination.
That Soldier was Botta, and she was not thrilled with the assignment.
“One day, she asked me if I could make someone else the PG, and my answer was ‘No,’” Overly said. “I told her, ‘You’re a great PG, and you’re going to go places. I already see it; I already know it.’ Look at her now.”
Botta admitted that, despite not wanting the responsibility at the time, she now recognizes how following through benefited her as a leader in the long run.
“I am glad he told me no because it makes it a lot easier now as a captain to both talk to your peers and relate to your subordinates, but at the time, I was sad,” she said. “It’s different because you are put above your peers who are in the same age range, the same rank and doing the same job. You’re in a leadership position telling them what to do.”
That wasn’t the last time Overly was an essential source of motivation for Botta. A few years later, she sought Overly’s advice during what she called a very difficult transition from enlisted Soldier to officer.
“She felt like giving up,” Overly said. “I told her, ‘Don’t quit; I’m proud of you; keep going,’” he said.
For Botta, who had joined intending to be enlisted and later decided to pursue a career as an officer, Overly’s words of encouragement and confidence in her were the push she needed.
“It meant a lot to have someone who was my mentor and teacher, who watched me go from private to a specialist — and now to an officer in different stages — say you can do this,” she said. “You don’t get to hear that a lot.”
She isn’t the only one. Overly said he has mentored multiple Soldiers throughout his time in service with the hope of watching them succeed in life and their Army career. He does it for them, he said, not for him.
“I don’t care about me; I care about the Soldiers,” he said. “When I spread my knowledge and share everything I’ve learned with them, I’m setting them up for success. I have many Soldiers who outrank me right now, whom I’ve trained in some way, shape or form.”
NCOs mentoring officers is not uncommon, Botta said.
“As officers, we have the rank and NCOs have all the experience,” she explained. “Many of us are mentored by NCOs. Regulation is everything, but in the same instance, so is experience, and lessons learned come from your NCOs.”
She said at least one important leadership lesson from Overly has stuck with her.
“Patience, most definitely patience,” she said.
For Overly, the potentially far-reaching and long-lasting impact of his mentorships across future generations of Soldiers is something he does not take lightly.
“It gives me goosebumps knowing that it’s not just my legacy anymore; it is our legacy now,” Overly said. “Someone once told me I would never amount to anything, so seeing this makes me feel good and makes those people eat their words.”
Overly said he will start his transition to retirement soon and plans to return home to North Carolina where he owns his own business. He plans to continue giving advice and sharing his knowledge with Soldiers for as long as possible.
“I am at their disposal,” he said. “They can still ask me anything. I don’t care what time it is — day or night — if they have something on their mind, they can give me a call.”
Botta said she is grateful for his willingness to continue their mentor-mentee relationship.
“There’s still a lot for me to learn,” she said.
“I’m very proud of the person she’s become,” Overly said. “You have your family, and then you have your military family. (Watching her grow) has been very rewarding.”
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