MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is an informational guide for packaging and marking requirements applicable to Department of Defense (DoD) contracts and solicitations. The document is not officially adopted by DoD but serves as an instructional resource derived from government packaging documents, pamphlets, and technical manuals.

The guide covers five basic methods of military preservation: Method 10 (physical protection), Method 20 (preservative coating only), Method 30 (waterproof protection), Method 40 (watervaporproof protection), and Method 50 (watervaporproof protection with desiccant). It details specific packing levels—Level A for severe worldwide conditions and Level B for moderate conditions—with corresponding container requirements. The document specifies that hazardous materials must comply with modal regulations including Title 49 CFR for land transport, IMO/IMDG for water, ICAO/IATA for commercial air, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air shipments. Packaging requirements are typically located in contract Sections D (Packaging & Marking), C (Description/Specs/Statement of Work), and J (Attachments), and may reference Military Standard drawings (MIL-STD-2073-1E), ASTM standards, Packaging Requirement Codes (PRCs), and commercial item descriptions. The guide includes visual examples of packing methods, marking requirements for identification, bar codes, address markings, and special designations such as hazardous materials labels, shelf-life indicators, project codes, fragile handling markings, and RFID tag specifications. A sample worksheet and packaging code lookup tool (https://camphill.leidos.com/code_lookup.nsf/codecheck) are provided to assist contractors in interpreting packaging requirements from contracts.