Packaging and Marking Guide for DoD

This is an informational guide published by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) in March 2014 that provides guidance on packaging and marking requirements for Department of Defense contracts and solicitations. The guide is not officially adopted by DoD and is intended for familiarization purposes only, serving as a reference to contractual requirements rather than a replacement for actual specifications or regulations.

The guide covers the locations where packaging requirements appear within solicitations and contracts, including Sections A through J, and references relevant standards such as CIDs (Commercial Item Descriptions), Military and Federal Specifications, Military Standard Drawings (MS), ASTM standards, FAR and DFARS clauses, and Packaging Requirement Codes. It provides detailed information on hazardous materials packaging and marking requirements, including compliance with Title 49 CFR (Land), IMO/IMDG (Water), ICAO/IATA (Commercial Air), and AFMAN 24-204_IP (Military Air), with MIL-STD-129 as the marking standard. The document explains five basic methods of military preservation (Methods 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50), presents military packaging levels (Level A and Level B), and includes visual examples of packaging methods and container types. Additionally, the guide covers package markings (identification, bar codes, address, and special markings), Packaging Requirement Codes (PRC), quality assurance provisions, inspection requirements, palletization standards per MIL-STD-147, RFID requirements, and heat-treated wood packaging material requirements. A sample worksheet is provided for translating packaging requirement codes from contracts, and reference specifications and useful websites are included for contractor compliance.