MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is an informational guide on packaging and marking requirements for the Department of Defense (DoD), compiled by the Defense Contract Management Agency and published in March 2014.

The guide provides comprehensive guidance on military packaging and preservation standards applicable to DoD contracts and solicitations. It covers five basic preservation methods: Method 10 (physical protection), Method 20 (preservative coating only), Method 30 (waterproof protection), Method 40 (watervaporproof protection), and Method 50 (watervaporproof protection with desiccant). The document details specific packing methods (31-45 and 51-52) that correspond to these preservation approaches, with visual illustrations showing container construction, wrapping materials, cushioning requirements, and layering sequences for each method. Hazardous materials must be packaged according to Title 49 CFR for land transport, IMO/IMDG for water, ICAO/IATA for commercial air, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air, with markings per MIL-STD-129. The guide references MIL-STD-2073-1E for military packaging standards and ASTM D-3951 for commercial packaging applicability. Packaging requirements are typically located in solicitation sections D (Packaging & Marking), C (Description/Specs/Statement of Work), or within attachments such as Commercial Item Descriptions, Military Specifications, aperture cards, or special packaging instructions. The document includes a sample worksheet for translating packaging requirement codes, detailed marking specifications (identification, bar codes, address, and special markings), quality assurance provisions with inspection and leakage testing procedures, and reference materials such as MIL-STD-129, MIL-STD-147, MIL-DTL-117, and RFID requirements per DFARS clause 252.211-7006.