Mil-Std 129P Labeling

DOD Compliance Articles

Getting Started with Mil-Std 129 Labeling

Mil-Std 129 prescribes how DOD suppliers are to mark military shipments. Like many technical documents it can be difficult to use, particularly for newcomers. This guide is organized by packaging level (Exterior, Intermediate, Unit, and Pallet) and by special requirements that do not necessarily correlate one-to-one with packaging levels, such as RFID, UID, and Direct Vendor Delivery.

Before diving into the details of container marking, you need to know which marking requirements apply to your shipment. Here's the big picture:

Exterior Container Markings

Exterior container markings are required on all exterior containers and unpacked items unless specifically exempted in the contract or solicitation. (Mil-Std 129, para 4.1.2 and para 4.44). That's pretty straightforward. Definitions of exterior containers and unpacked items and details about the required markings are on the wiki page about Exterior Container Marking.

Military Shipping Label

Each shipment unit in a unitized load shall be marked with an MSL. For example, the shipment unit in a palletized unit load is the pallet. (Mil-Std 129, para 4.2.2) The definition of a palletized unit load and details about the required marking are on the page about Military Shipping Label. In most instances, loose cases, crates, and containers each require a Military Shipping Label and boxes on a pallet require 1 Military Shipping Label on each pallet (not on each box).

Unit Packs and Intermediate Container Marking

Unless specifically exempted in the contract or solicitation, the following identification information shall be marked on all unit packs and intermediate containers... {Mil-Std 129, para 4.1.1) If the unit pack is also the exterior container, only exterior container markings are required (and not unit pack markings).

RFID Tagging

Your contract should tell you if you are required to apply RFID tagging to your shipment. However, you may need to comply with RFID requirements even if the requirement is not mentioned in your contract. The criteria for RFID compliance is spelled out in the DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement).

UID Container Labeling

If you are shipping items that are required to be marked with UIIs (Unique Item Identifiers) under the UID (Unique Identification) mandate, then you must mark your containers with UID data.

DD Form 1348-1A

The DD Form 1348-1A shall be used by DoD shippers and as specified in the contract. (Mil-Std 129, para 5.3.2)

Direct Vendor Delivery (DVD) Labeling

Unless otherwise specified in the contract or solicitation, contractor- or vendor-originated DVD shipments require identification and address marking with 2D (PDF417) and linear (Code 39) bar codes... (Mil-Std 129, para 4.5).