MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is an informational guide published by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) in March 2014 that provides guidance on packaging and marking requirements for Department of Defense (DoD) contracts and solicitations. The guide is not officially adopted by DoD but serves as an instructional resource for understanding packaging standards.

The guide covers packaging requirement locations within solicitation sections (A through J), hazardous materials regulations, and military versus commercial packaging standards. For hazardous materials, items must comply with Title 49 CFR for land transport, IMO/IMDG for water, ICAO/IATA for commercial air, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air, with appropriate modal regulations taking precedence in case of conflicts. Commercial packaging may be appropriate under ASTM D-3951 for items intended for immediate use, not requiring reusable containers, or destined for depot consumption. Military packaging under MIL-STD-2073-1E applies to items requiring operational preservation during wartime deployment, reusable containers, sea delivery, or extended storage exceeding six months, with Level A and Level B protection options based on shipment severity. The document details five basic preservation methods (Methods 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50) with corresponding packing requirements, ranging from physical protection to watervaporproof protection with desiccants. Additional sections address packaging requirement codes (PRC), quality assurance provisions including preservation and packing inspections, marking standards per MIL-STD-129, special markings for shelf-life and hazardous materials, wood packaging material heat-treatment requirements, palletization standards under MIL-STD-147, and RFID identification requirements per DFARS clause 252.211-7006.