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 standards for military and commercial packaging, preservation methods, and marking requirements. It identifies packaging requirement locations within solicitation documents (Sections A through J) and emphasizes that hazardous materials must comply with modal regulations including Title 49 CFR for land, IMO/IMDG for water, ICAO/IATA for commercial air, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air, with MIL-STD-129 marking standards. The document details five basic military 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 includes visual diagrams of each method showing proper application of barriers, bags, cushioning, and containers. The guide explains that ASTM D-3951 commercial packaging standards may apply to items for immediate use, not-mission-capable supply fulfillment, depot consumption, and small parcel post shipments. MIL-STD-2073-1E applies to military packaging for wartime delivery, reusable containers, delivery-at-sea items, and those entering the Defense Transportation System with storage exceeding six months, with Level A providing severe environmental protection and Level B providing moderate protection. Additional sections address packaging requirement codes (QUP, ICQ, MOP, CD, PM, WM, CUD, CT, UC, IC, UCL, OPI, PACK, SP MK), quality assurance provisions including preservation inspections and leakage tests, package markings (identification, bar code, address, and special markings), and standards for military shipping labels, shelf-life information, project codes, fragile item handling, Method 50 labeling, expedited handling, hazardous materials labeling, heat-treated wood packaging material marking, palletization per MIL-STD-147, and passive RFID tag application per DFARS clause 252.211-7006.