MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is an informational guide for packaging and marking procedures applicable to Department of Defense (DoD) contracts and solicitations. The guide is not officially adopted by DoD but serves as an instructional resource derived from current government packaging documents and technical manuals.

Packaging requirements are located throughout solicitation documents in specific sections: Section A (Solicitation/Contract Form), Section B (Supplies & Services), Section C (Description/Specs/Statement of Work), Section D (Packaging & Marking), Section E (Inspection & Acceptance), Section F (Deliveries or Performance), Section I (Contract Clauses), and Section J (Attachments). Requirements may also appear in Commercial Item Descriptions (CIDs), Military or Federal Specifications, aperture cards and drawings, special packaging instructions, DLA Master Solicitations, FAR and DFARS clauses, product specifications, Military Standard Drawings (MS), industry standards (ASTM), and Packaging Requirement Codes. Hazardous materials must be packaged according to modal regulations: 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 and labeling per applicable modal regulations and MIL-STD-129 when specified.

The guide details five basic military preservation methods (10, 20, 30, 40, 50) and corresponding military packing levels (A and B). Method 10 provides physical protection only; Method 20 adds preservative coating; Methods 30 and 40 provide waterproof and watervaporproof protection respectively; and Method 50 adds desiccant with humidity indicators. Specific packaging methods (31-52) are illustrated with detailed diagrams showing preservation, wrapping, cushioning, and container requirements. Commercial packaging under ASTM D-3951 is permitted for items intended for immediate use, depot consumption, not-for-stock supplies, or small parcel post shipments. Packaging Requirement Codes (PRC) in MIL-STD-20731E(1) translate contract specifications into standardized codes for quantity per unit pack (QUP), intermediate container quantity (ICQ), preservation method, cleaning and drying procedures, preservative material, wraps, cushioning materials and thickness, unit and intermediate container types, and unit container level designations. Quality assurance provisions require preservation and packing inspections including visual examinations, leakage tests, and heat-sealed seam tests. Markings must include identification data (NSN, CAGE code, part number, nomenclature, quantity, contract number, military method and preservation date, gross weight, shelf life, serial numbers), bar code identifications, address markings with Military Shipping Labels (MSL), and special markings for hazardous materials, shelf-life, project codes, fragility, Method 50 packages, expedited handling, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) sensitive devices. Heat-treated wood packaging material must be marked per IPPC standards, and palletized loads must comply with MIL-STD-147. Passive RFID tags meeting EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2 standard may be required per DFARS Clause 252.211-7006 for advance shipment notice submission.