MIL-STD-2073.pdf

This is an informational guide prepared by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) 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 familiarizing contractors with packaging standards derived from government documents and technical manuals.

The guide covers locations where packaging requirements appear within solicitations and contracts (Sections A through J), hazardous materials packaging regulations (Title 49 CFR for land, IMO/IMDG for water, ICAO/IATA for commercial air, and AFMAN 24-204_IP for military air), and commercial versus military packaging standards. It details ASTM D-3951 (Standard Practice for Commercial Packaging) applicability for items intended for immediate use, depot consumption, or not-for-stock shipments, and MIL-STD-2073-1E for military packaging when operational demands require preservation during wartime deployment, reusable containers, delivery-at-sea, or extended storage exceeding six months. The document extensively illustrates five basic military preservation methods (Methods 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50), defines military packing and preservation terminology, explains packaging requirement codes (PRC) used in contracts, and provides detailed visual examples of proper unit pack, intermediate container, and exterior container labeling with identification markings, bar codes, and special markings for shelf-life, hazardous materials, fragile items, electrostatic discharge sensitivity, expedited handling, and Method 50 designation. Additional content addresses palletization standards (MIL-STD-147), heat-treated wood packaging material requirements, RFID tag specifications, and quality assurance inspection provisions for preservation and packing integrity.