MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is an informational guide prepared by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) 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 reference for contractors and procurement personnel.

The guide comprehensively addresses packaging and marking standards applicable to DoD shipments, with detailed coverage of military packaging methods and commercial packaging alternatives. Key specifications include MIL-STD-2073-1E (Standard Practice for Military Packaging), ASTM D-3951 (Standard Practice for Commercial Packaging), and hazardous materials regulations including Title 49 CFR for land transport, IMO/IMDG for water transport, ICAO/IATA for commercial air transport, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air transport. The document outlines five basic preservation methods (Methods 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50) ranging from physical protection alone to watervaporproof protection with desiccant, and presents military packing levels (Level A for severe conditions and Level B for moderate conditions) with corresponding container specifications. Additional sections detail packaging requirement codes (PRC), quality assurance provisions including visual examinations and leakage testing, marking requirements for identification, bar codes, address labels, and special markings such as shelf-life, project codes, fragile/delicate designations, Method 50 indicators, expedited handling, and hazardous materials labels. The guide also addresses heat-treated wood packaging material requirements, palletization standards per MIL-STD-147, RFID tagging per DFARS Clause 252.211-7006, and references key specifications including MIL-DTL-117 for heat-sealable bags and MIL-STD-129 for military marking of shipments and storage.