MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is an informational guide for packaging and marking Defense Department (DoD) contract deliverables, published by the Defense Contract Management Agency in March 2014. The guide is not officially adopted by DoD but serves as an instructional reference for contractors and procurement personnel to understand packaging requirements typically found in solicitations and contracts.

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 packaging standards including MIL-STD-2073-1E for military packaging, ASTM D-3951 for commercial packaging, and MIL-STD-129 for marking and identification. The document includes instructions on packaging requirement codes (PRC), hazardous materials handling (which 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), unit and intermediate container labeling with bar codes or 2D symbols, exterior container markings, special markings for shelf-life and project codes, and Military Shipping Label (MSL) requirements. Additional topics include palletization standards per MIL-STD-147, heat-treated wood packaging material (WPM) marking requirements, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag placement, quality assurance provisions including preservation and leakage testing, and references to key specifications such as MIL-DTL-117 for heat-sealable bags and MIL-DTL-6060 for complex watervaporproof bags.