MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This document is an informational guide prepared by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) that provides instruction on packaging and marking requirements for Department of Defense contracts and solicitations. The guide is not officially adopted by DoD but serves as a familiarization resource derived from current government packaging documents, pamphlets, and technical manuals.

The guide addresses packaging requirements located across multiple sections of solicitations and contracts (Sections A through J), including specifications, statements of work, and attachments. It details five basic military preservation methods (Methods 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50), which range from physical protection to watervaporproof protection with desiccant. For hazardous materials, packaging must comply with 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, with markings per MIL-STD-129. The document provides specific packaging method guidance, with Methods 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, and 52 offering detailed visual illustrations of container types, wrapping requirements, cushioning materials, and heat-sealing specifications. Packaging Requirement Codes (PRC) are structured as two-digit codes identifying quantity per unit pack, intermediate container quantity, preservation methods, cleaning and drying procedures, preservative materials, wrap materials, cushioning, container types, and unit container levels. Quality assurance provisions require visual preservation examinations, leakage tests using multiple techniques, and heat-sealed seam testing. Package markings include identification markings (NSN, CAGE code, part number, quantity, contract number, military method and preservation date), bar code markings, address markings using Military Shipping Labels with Transportation Control Numbers, and special markings for hazardous materials, shelf-life, project codes, fragile items, Method 50 packages, expedited handling, and electrostatic discharge sensitive devices. The guide references MIL-STD-2073-1E for military packaging standards, ASTM D3951 for commercial packaging, MIL-STD-129 for marking standards, MIL-DTL-117 for heat-sealable bags, and MIL-STD-147 for palletization standards, and includes a packaging code lookup tool and references to useful websites for specifications and compliance information.