MIL-STD-2073.pdf

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

The guide provides comprehensive guidance on military packaging and preservation standards applicable to DoD contracts. It details five basic preservation methods: Method 10 (physical protection), Method 20 (preservative coating only), Method 30 (waterproof protection), Method 40 (watervaporproof protection), and Method 50 (watervaporproof protection with desiccant). The document specifies two military packing levels—Level A for severe worldwide conditions and Level B for moderate conditions—with examples of appropriate containers for each. It explains that hazardous materials 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. The guide references MIL-STD-2073-1E as the standard practice for military packaging and includes detailed visual illustrations of Methods 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, and 52, showing the layering and composition of unit packs, intermediate containers, and exterior shipping containers. Packaging requirement codes (PRC) are explained with headings for quantity per unit pack, intermediate container quantity, preservation method, cleaning and drying procedures, preservative material, wrap material, cushioning materials, container types, and unit container levels. The document also covers marking requirements per MIL-STD-129, including identification markings, bar codes, address markings, and special markings for shelf-life, project codes, fragile items, Method 50 packages, expedited handling, and hazardous materials. Additional topics include heat-treated wood packaging material (WPM) requirements, palletization standards per MIL-STD-147, and radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging per DFARS Clause 252.211-7006. Quality assurance provisions reference Appendix G of MIL-STD-2073-1E, covering preservation inspections, leakage tests, and heat-sealed seam tests.