MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is the Packaging and Marking Guide for the Department of Defense, published by the Defense Contract Management Agency in March 2014. The document provides comprehensive guidance on packaging and marking requirements for federal contracts, serving as an informational reference rather than an officially adopted standard.

The guide details five basic methods of military preservation: Method 10 (physical protection), Method 20 (preservative coating only), Method 30 (waterproof protection), Method 40 (watervaporproof protection), and Method 50 (watervaporproof protection with desiccant). Military packaging is categorized into two levels: Level A for severe worldwide shipment conditions and Level B for moderate conditions. The document establishes that hazardous materials must be packaged in accordance with Title 49 CFR for land transport, IMO/IMDG for water, ICAO/IATA for commercial air, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air. All packaging requirements are governed by MIL-STD-2073-1E and MIL-STD-129 for military marking. The guide specifies packaging requirement codes (PRC) that communicate preservation methods, cleaning procedures, wrap materials, cushioning thickness, container types, and special handling requirements. Quality assurance provisions outlined in Appendix G include visual preservation examinations, leakage tests using multiple techniques, and heat-sealed seam tests. Special markings are required for shelf-life items, project codes, fragile materials, Method 50 packages, expedited handling, hazardous materials, electrostatic discharge sensitive devices, and heat-treated wood packaging materials. The document provides sample worksheets, label examples with linear barcode and 2D PDF417 symbol options, Military Shipping Label formats, and references to key specifications including ASTM D3951 for commercial packaging and MIL-DTL-117 for heat-sealable bags.