MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is an informational guide from the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) on packaging and marking standards for Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, published in March 2014.

The guide provides comprehensive instruction on military packaging requirements found across various contract sections (solicitation forms, supplies and services, descriptions/specifications, packaging and marking, inspection and acceptance, deliveries, contract clauses, and attachments). It details hazardous materials packaging 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 shipments, all of which must comply with MIL-STD-129 marking standards. The document establishes five basic military preservation methods (Method 10 through Method 50) ranging from physical protection only to watervaporproof protection with desiccant, each with specific application requirements for containers, wrapping materials, cushioning, and marking. MIL-STD-2073-1E provides the military packaging standard with multiple appendices covering preservation methods, container design, quality assurance, and requirement codes. The guide includes detailed visual examples of Methods 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, and 52, showing precise layering sequences for unit packs and external containers. Additional sections address packaging requirement codes (QUP, ICQ, preservation methods, cleaning/drying, preservative materials, wraps, cushioning, containers, and unit container levels), special markings (shelf-life, project codes, fragile/delicate, Method 50, expedited handling, hazardous materials, heat-treated wood packaging material requirements, palletization standards per MIL-STD-147, RFID tag requirements, and identification/bar code label examples for unit, intermediate, and exterior containers). The guide references commercial packaging standards (ASTM D-3951) for items intended for immediate use, depot consumption, or not-for-stock shipments via CONUS parcel post.