@vanezzaospina – Great work on filling in systems gaps in your shop. This work will go a LONG WAY towards stabilizing processes and creating predicability for folks. Keep in mind that with systems creation, it is a steep learning curve, but the outcome is worth it, every single time. So keep at (with this or other projects)!

BLUF: TCS orders get processed thru S1 (and higher/garrison). TDY (even 179 days) goes thru S3. Even so, everyone needs to do the pre & redeployment stuff. Also, become friends with the S3 crew because you will help each other more times than not.

A few TTPs that I stumbled through as I created products that may help you:
– make it easy for the user. So take a product and show it to the XO who just moved to the S3 shop, the new PL you just inprocessed, and the most senior CC. It does not matter if “everyone knows” that the clinic moved to a new building, put a bldg # or phone number on the checklist. I guarantee you everyone does not know.

– call every single POC your list (specifically, your garrison) and confirm that they do the service, how they do it, when they do it, and who the precise POC is (or the magic phrase to use when calling, to say, schedule an appt.)

– add timelines / expectation management. If garrison says it takes 48 hrs for something to update, add that. If you think it is in the best interest of the Soldiers to do something before another, put it in that order and how many days/weeks/months it takes. It sounds simple, but people will follow the list you give them. (This further increases your credibility that you are looking out for Soldiers. It’ll take 1 or 2 NCOs to do it “your way” for word to get out that S1’s list rocks and was easy to use).

– Add any MI-specific items, like requiring an official passport and the process/garrison POC/website, or any security briefings (or SF forms or S2 briefs needing updating due to foreign travel).

– ID special order requirements? (NATO orders)

– Are pax flying mil air or civilian air? This makes a difference both for ticketing (S3) and for movement of weapons (civ airlines; double lock required).

– pass this through the Staff (face to face works better with a hard copy). S2 may want to add a box check that reads “This person needs courier orders yes / no”, for example.

Questions for your consideration based on mission:
– need for civilian clothing allowances?
– are personnel taking weapons? how are they being transported? (see the flight TTP above)
– who has operational authority and force protection responsibility? (Chief of Mission [ambassador] or your COCOM) if something happens on the assignment, who has the authority to pull those Soldiers back? (spoiler: this may be hard to get an answer from BN or BDE S3. MI units are weird sometimes).
– who is producing the orders (read: get access to DAMPS, if its used on your garrison. If they let you produce the orders, run with it.)
– (S3 and XO RFI) what’s the classification of the mission? How does this effect what I put on the orders? Will SM need a classified OER/NCOER post-mission (yes, HRC does classified evals). [This is manifest in specific ways, such as, what country and location goes on the TCS orders.]