I took an HHC (my first command?!) to Afghanistan in 2013. Part of our task while we were there was to close FOB Sharana, so there were a few additional layers to work through.

Regardless, for pre-deployment preparation I would offer a few general pieces of advice:

1) Make contact with the HHC commander you are replacing. This cannot happen early enough. Stay in contact all the way up to deployment. Find out what their mission is, what their battle rhythm is, and any initiatives that you will have handed off to you. Get a copy of their property book in advance, and bump it against whatever you are planning on taking.

2) Split the property book between forward and rear as soon as you can. Work with your Supply NCO, and the PBO to reconcile any/all issues with the forward property book, and identify those that need to be fixed with the rear. When it comes time to load containers, double and triple check that what is being loaded and packed, matches what is on your forward property book. Make sure all sub-hand receipts are signed and dress-right-dress.

3) Determine who your HHC Rear-D command team is going to be as soon as possible. Integrate them into everything you do now – UCMJ, inventories, etc. It is possible you will return from deployment and inherit whatever they have accomplished. Best to form a team, and set expectations in advance. Keep in regular contact while deployed.

4) Determine what your HHC’s requirements are for additional duties (e.g. UMO). As painful as it will be, these likely will fall on members of the staff. Work with the BN XO, and other staff primaries, to distribute the load equitably. ID these individuals, and get them trained. Do not fall for any statement such as “this can wait, they have a course in-country” – when the staff is in theater, they will not have the time to do anything other than staff work (and the resources probably don’t exist anyway).