MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is the Packaging and Marking Guide for the Department of Defense prepared by the Defense Contract Management Agency in March 2014. The guide provides an informational reference for understanding packaging and marking requirements found in federal contracts and solicitations, covering topics such as military packaging standards, preservation methods, container types, marking requirements, and inspection provisions.

The guide details packaging requirements across multiple standards and specifications. Hazardous materials must be packaged according to 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, with markings per MIL-STD-129. Military packaging follows MIL-STD-2073-1E and applies to items requiring preservation for wartime deployment, reusable containers, sea delivery, or storage exceeding six months. Five basic preservation methods are defined: Method 10 (physical protection), Method 20 (preservative coating), Method 30 (waterproof), Method 40 (watervaporproof), and Method 50 (watervaporproof with desiccant). Commercial packaging may use ASTM D-3951 for items intended for immediate use, not-mission-capable supply, depot consumption, or small parcel post shipping. The guide includes detailed illustrations of methods 31-45 showing specific packing configurations with containers, bags, cushioning, and desiccants. Packaging Requirement Codes (PRCs) are defined with two-digit codes for quantity per unit pack, intermediate container quantity, preservation method, cleaning and drying, preservative material, wrap material, cushioning material, cushioning thickness, unit container type, intermediate container type, and container level. Marking requirements include identification markings (NSN, CAGE code, part number, quantity, contract number, military preservation method), bar code markings, address markings using Military Shipping Labels with Transportation Control Numbers, and special markings for shelf-life, project codes, fragile items, Method 50 packages, expedited handling, hazardous materials, ESD-sensitive items, and heat-treated wood packaging materials.