As with any well thought out and planned packaging scheme, the science of
military packaging for the United States Government developed from a well recognized logistical
need. This science has evolved over the course of its life to accommodate the many technology
changes in how the military distributes its supplies. It remains a dynamic force that can either
provide a positive or negative contribution to the success of military missions. Unlike most elements
of military doctrine, military packaging is rarely understood and appreciated for its contributions,
thus making it a prime target for criticisms from uninformed opinions.
The purpose of this paper is to make the reader aware of the basic reasons behind why military
packaging exists. This paper will review the many historic factors that first led military leaders to
recognize the need to protect supplies and equipment, and then follow the evolution of the science of
military packaging through current day practices.
GENESIS: The need for specific military procedures and requirements on how to package materiel
first surfaced on two different fronts. The Army had run sustainment exercises to Iceland during the
summer of 1941, and experienced high levels of supply losses that troop units attributed to bad
packaging. The same problem hit the Navy quite dramatically during the amphibious operations at
Guadalcanal in 1942. The commercial packaging that the Army, Navy and Marine Corps used during
the early months of World War II colossally failed to serve its intended purpose, and seriously
jeopardized the War Department's and Navy Department's abilities to sustain operations then being
planned. No one in either of those Departments had paid attention to the changes that had occurred in
packaging designs since Armistice Day.
In 1918, the most common shipping containers for military supplies were wood boxes, crates,
kegs and barrels. These were very much like the common commercial shipping containers of that
era, and were well-suited for all types of supply distribution environments. These containers were
heavy-duty, sturdy designs, generally built by craftsmen. With proper care, some surviving examples
of these containers could be readily used today as intended.
Immediately prior to World War II, military planners failed to recognize that the packaging they
had been receiving with their supplies would not meet their vital needs for overseas operations.
Industry had recognized that they could lower costs and improve profit margins by getting their
products to market in suitable packaging that weighed less and cost less to produce than traditional
packaging. In 1914, American railroads, who at the time were carrying most of the freight in the
United States, recognized and authorized the use of corrugated and solid fiberboard shipping
containers for packing many different types of products. Motor carriers, in turn, followed the
railroads' example in 1935 when they adopted their own packaging rules that often called for
fiberboard boxes. The United States Treasury Department issued the first federal specifications for
corrugated and solid "fiber boxes" in 1930 for packing supplies used by the civil agencies.
Industry, at the time, was also moving toward marketing plans that products would be consumed
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