MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is an informational guide published by the Defense Contract Management Agency in March 2014 that provides guidance on packaging and marking requirements for Department of Defense contracts and solicitations. The guide is not officially adopted by DoD but serves as an instructional resource for understanding packaging standards.

The guide details locations where packaging requirements appear in solicitations and contracts (Sections A through J), with emphasis on Section D (Packaging & Marking). It addresses hazardous materials packaging according to modal 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. The document provides comprehensive coverage of military preservation and packing standards under MIL-STD-2073-1E, which applies to items requiring operational durability including wartime deployment, reusable containers, delivery-at-sea, and extended storage exceeding six months. Five basic military preservation methods are outlined: Method 10 (physical protection), Method 20 (preservative coating), Method 30 (waterproof protection), Method 40 (watervaporproof protection), and Method 50 (watervaporproof with desiccant). The guide includes detailed illustrations of preservation methods (Methods 31-45 variations), explanations of Military Packing Levels A and B, packaging requirement codes (PRCs), quality assurance provisions, inspection and testing procedures, and marking specifications including identification, bar codes, address markings, and special markings for shelf-life, project codes, fragile items, Method 50 packages, expedited handling, and hazardous materials. Additionally, it covers commercial packaging standards (ASTM D-3951), wood packaging material heat-treatment requirements, palletization standards (MIL-STD-147), RFID tagging requirements, and relevant military standards including MIL-STD-129 for marking and MIL-DTL-117 for heat-sealable bags.