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 document is not officially adopted by DoD and serves instructional purposes only, drawing from current government packaging documents, pamphlets, and technical manuals.

The guide addresses packaging requirements found across standard contract sections (Section D for Packaging & Marking, Section E for Inspection & Acceptance, and Section F for Deliveries or Performance) and specifies that packaging instructions may appear in CIDs, military or federal specifications, aperture cards, drawings, DLA master solicitations, FAR/DFARS clauses, product specifications, military standard drawings, industry standards (ASTM), and packaging requirement codes. For hazardous materials, items must be packaged according to applicable modal regulations (Title 49 CFR for land, IMO/IMDG for water, ICAO/IATA for commercial air, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air) and marked per MIL-STD-129, with modal regulations taking precedence in case of conflict. The document details five basic military preservation methods (Method 10 through Method 50), ranging from physical protection alone to watervaporproof protection with desiccant, along with corresponding military packing levels (Level A for severe conditions and Level B for moderate conditions). It provides extensive visual examples and specifications for each method, defines packaging requirement codes (PRCs) used in MIL-STD-20731E(1), outlines four types of basic markings (identification, bar code, address, and special), and includes quality assurance provisions requiring visual preservation examinations and leakage tests per MIL-STD-3010. Additional guidance covers commercial packaging per ASTM D-3951, wood packaging material heat-treatment requirements, palletization standards per MIL-STD-147, RFID tag requirements per DFARS clause 252.211-7006, and special markings for shelf-life, project codes, fragile items, Method 50 packages, expedited handling, and hazardous materials.