MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is an informational guide for packaging and marking military shipments issued by the Defense Contract Management Agency in March 2014. The guide provides technical guidance on packaging requirements, preservation methods, container specifications, and marking standards for Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, though it is not officially adopted by DoD and is intended for familiarization purposes only.

The guide details five basic military preservation methods: Method 10 (physical protection), Method 20 (preservative coating only), Method 30 (waterproof protection), Method 40 (watervaporproof protection), and Method 50 (watervaporproof protection with desiccant). It covers Level A and Level B military packing requirements for various operational environments, with Level A providing protection for severe worldwide conditions and Level B for moderate conditions. The document specifies packaging standards including MIL-STD-2073-1E for military packaging, ASTM D-3951 for commercial packaging, MIL-STD-129 for marking standards, and modal regulations for hazardous materials (Title 49 CFR for land transport, IMO/IMDG for water, ICAO/IATA for commercial air, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air). The guide includes detailed visual examples of specific packing methods (Methods 31-52), packaging requirement codes (PRCs), quality assurance provisions with inspection and testing requirements, marking examples for unit and exterior containers, special markings for items such as shelf-life and hazardous materials, and references to key specifications including MIL-STD-147 for palletization and requirements for heat-treated wood packaging material and RFID tag applications.