MIL-STD-2073.pdf

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

The guide provides comprehensive instruction on military packaging standards applicable to DoD contracts and solicitations. It details packaging requirements found across contract sections (Section D for packaging and marking, Section F for deliveries, and others) and references key specification documents including MIL-STD-2073-1E for military packaging, ASTM D-3951 for commercial packaging, and applicable hazardous materials regulations (Title 49 CFR for land transport, IMO/IMDG for water, ICAO/IATA for commercial air, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air). The document establishes five basic military preservation methods (Methods 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50) with varying protection levels, from physical protection only to watervaporproof protection with desiccant. Method 10 provides basic physical protection for items intended for immediate use or depot consumption. Methods 20-50 incorporate increasingly stringent preservation through coatings, waterproofing, and watervaporproof barriers with heat-sealed bags, appropriate for items entering the Defense Transportation and Distribution System or requiring extended storage. The guide includes detailed illustrations and specifications for each packaging method, container types, cushioning requirements, and marking standards per MIL-STD-129, along with quality assurance inspection procedures and provisions for special markings (shelf-life, project codes, hazardous materials, Method 50 labels, ESD warnings, and heat-treated wood packaging certifications). The guide also addresses palletization per MIL-STD-147, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging requirements per DFARS 252.211-7006, and provides packaging requirement codes (PRC) worksheets to translate contract specifications into specific packaging parameters.