MIL-STD-2073.pdf

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

The guide provides comprehensive instruction on military packaging standards and preservation methods required for shipments to DoD. It covers the locations where packaging requirements appear within solicitation documents (Sections D and J), hazardous materials handling requirements including modal regulations (Title 49 CFR for land, IMO/IMDG for water, ICAO/IATA for commercial air, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air), and references to applicable standards including MIL-STD-2073-1E for military packaging and ASTM D-3951 for commercial packaging. The guide details five basic preservation methods: Method 10 (physical protection), Method 20 (preservative coating), Method 30 (waterproof protection), Method 40 (watervaporproof protection), and Method 50 (watervaporproof with desiccant). It provides visual examples of military packing levels (Level A and Level B), specific preservation and packing procedures for methods 31 through 52, packaging requirement codes, quality assurance inspection provisions, marking requirements including identification markings, bar codes, address markings with Military Shipping Labels, and special markings for hazardous materials, shelf-life items, fragile goods, and ESD-sensitive devices. The document includes worksheets, sample labels, palletization standards per MIL-STD-147, RFID requirements, and references to key specifications and useful industry resources for contractors packaging items for military delivery and storage.