DLA / DSA Marking, What Do They Stand For?

[AirMechanic]

I've seen items/field gear marked DLA, DSA, NSN, and FSN. What do each of those stand for? Do they designate a certain period of time? I've noticed alot of Vietnam Field Gear is marked DSA. Is that prior to the DLA marking?

[elbertson]

I've seen items/field gear marked DLA, DSA, NSN, and FSN. What do each of those stand for? Do they designate a certain period of time? I've noticed alot of Vietnam Field Gear is marked DSA. Is that prior to the DLA marking?

Defense Logistics Agency

Defense Supply Agency

NATO Stock Number

Federal Stock Number I don't know timelines or usage rationale.

[Bob Hudson]

I keep this as a text file for easy reference:

 

 

Military procurement was done through the Defense Supply Agency 1962-1977 and all contracts had a DSA prefix. The dates were by fiscal year...July 1 through June 30. Fiscal year 1962 had a DSA 1 prefix and E-62 suffix. 1963 and 1964 were the same but substitute "63" or "64" in the suffix. Fiscal year 1965 will just have the DSA 1 prefix and no date code. Fiscal year 1966 will have a DSA 100 prefix and no date code. Starting in 1967 there will be a DSA 100 prefix plus a two digit date code. So, for example, fiscal year 1968 contracts will have a DSA 100-68 prefix.

 

Contract numbers

WW2 - 195? no prefix - Contract for U.S Marine Corps (BuSandA symbol, stamped in sleeve)

1946 - 195? "Supply Department of the United States Marine Corps" and date (stamped in sleeve)

1953 - 1961 DA (Defense Agency)

confirmed examples of contract numbers: 1957 - 1961 DA prefix on the tag

1962 - 1977 DSA (Defense Supply Agency)

confirmed examples of contract numbers: 1962 - 1977 DSA prefix on the tag

1978 - 1993 DLA (Defense Logistic Agency)

confirmed examples of contract numbers: 1978 - 1993 DLA prefix on the tag

1994 - 2003 SPO (System Program Offices)

confirmed examples of contract numbers: 1994 - present SPO prefix on the tag

 

Stock numbers

195? - 1956 example of stock number "72-R-307-112" ????

1957 - 1975 FSN (Federal stock number), 11-digit number

1975 - present NSN (National stock number), 13-digit number

 

[sgtmonroe]

DSA - Defense Supply Agency: from October 1961 through January 1977

DLA - Defense Logistics Agency: from January 1977 until replaced in 1993 by SPO

 

FSN - Federal Stock Number - 1953 through 1973

NSN - National Stock Number - 1973 through current - also stands for NATO Stock Number if foreign material

 

A DSA or DLA [later SPO] numbered sequence is often called a "contract number" by dealers/collectors. The actual government terminology is the PII [Procument Instrument Identification] number. Each item in the sequence has a specific meaning.

 

A typical [post-1966] PII number looks something like DSA 100-67-C-1000.

 

The DSA/DLA/SPO [the first three letters, in the example it is DSA] is the identifier of the department or agency that issued the instrument [or "contracting agency" - the agency that secured the contract]. The second set of numbers [in the example it is 100] identifies the "class" of item. "100" is clothing [including individual equipment] but there are many others.

 

The next two digits [in the example it is 67] are the last two digits of the fiscal year the instrument [or "contract"] was awarded. "67" would be FY1967 which ran from 01 July 1966 through 31 June 1967. Which means the contract could have been awarded anytime during that period. A common misconception is that the date code indicates the year of manufacture...it does not. The actual manufacture of the item could be months, even years, after the contract was awarded.

 

The next letter [in the example it is C] indicates the type of instrument [or "contract"] of which there are many [all corresponding to letters in the alphabet]. "C" indicates a contract purchase.

 

The last four digits [in the example it is 1000] are the serial number of the instrument [or the "contract number"].

 

The Federal Stock Number is a standardized system of keeping track of military items that began in 1953 [it did not start appearing on items until 1954]. The first four digits are the Federal Supply Class [8465 is individual equipment, 1005 is small arms under 30mm, 8405 is clothing, etc - there are hundreds] that identifies what the item is. The last seven numbers are radomly assigned but together are unique to a specific item. An example would be 8465-001-6487 which is assigned to the ALICE LC-1 individual equipment belt.

 

In 1973 [to be effective in 1974] the FSN system was amended to include two more digits to comply with the NATO Stock Numbering STANAG. The FSN was then renamed National Stock Number or NSN [NSN also stands for NATO Stock Number when referring to foreign manufactured items]. The two additional digits identified the country of origin, called the Country Code. So the ALICE individual equipment belt FSN was changed, in 1974, to 8465-00-001-6487. The additional "00" indicates the country of origin is the United States. Further the "00" indicates the item was standardized prior to 1973. Any "new" item to enter US inventory, after 1973, was given the country code of "01" to indicate it is from the United States and standardized after 1973...so the updated ALICE individual equipment belt [standardized in 1982 with plastic buckle] was assigned a new NSN of 8465-01-120-0674.

 

Hope this helps.

[sgtmonroe]

One thing I forgot to add:

 

DSA prefix appears on items beginning FY1962 until FY1977.

DLA prefix appears on items beginning FY1978 until FY1993.

SPO prefix appears on items beginning FY1994 until ?.

[B229]

Addition/correction:

 

SPO: System Program Office

DA: Dept of the Army

 

You might also encounter these two when dealing with clothing:

 

DPSC: Defense Personnel Support Center (1965-1997)

DSCP: Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia (1998-present)

 

Both of these are the same facility, which, prior to 1965, was the Philly QM Depot.

[sgtmonroe]

I quickly generated a "visual" listing of the common contract types and stock numbers from 1953 - 1993. These are common variations and do not take into account test/trial items, project contracts, DPSC procurements, etc. There are always exceptions to the rules.

 

The date preceeding each section is the Fiscal Year. I tried to utilize common items (at least one clothing item such as a field jacket and at least one equipment item such as a canteen cover for each year) but, considering I compiled this in a few days, I was not able to find similar items for all Fiscal Years.

[The Meatcan]

that's a great post sgtmonroe! thanks for taking the time and effort to do that up. I suggest that something this useful, along with Forum Support's markings cheatsheet, be pinned as a handy reference thread, if it hasn't been already.

nice work! :thumbsup:

Terry

[316th FS 324th FG]

Def agree with Terry, kudos sgtmonroe! Very helpful

[A82nd507th]

Thx a lot guys it's always useful !

[espedro65]

I keep this as a text file for easy reference:

Military procurement was done through the Defense Supply Agency 1962-1977 and all contracts had a DSA prefix. The dates were by fiscal year...July 1 through June 30. Fiscal year 1962 had a DSA 1 prefix and E-62 suffix. 1963 and 1964 were the same but substitute "63" or "64" in the suffix. Fiscal year 1965 will just have the DSA 1 prefix and no date code. Fiscal year 1966 will have a DSA 100 prefix and no date code. Starting in 1967 there will be a DSA 100 prefix plus a two digit date code. So, for example, fiscal year 1968 contracts will have a DSA 100-68 prefix.

 

Contract numbers

WW2 - 195? no prefix - Contract for U.S Marine Corps (BuSandA symbol, stamped in sleeve)

1946 - 195? "Supply Department of the United States Marine Corps" and date (stamped in sleeve)

1953 - 1961 DA (Defense Agency)

confirmed examples of contract numbers: 1957 - 1961 DA prefix on the tag

1962 - 1977 DSA (Defense Supply Agency)

confirmed examples of contract numbers: 1962 - 1977 DSA prefix on the tag

1978 - 1993 DLA (Defense Logistic Agency)

confirmed examples of contract numbers: 1978 - 1993 DLA prefix on the tag

1994 - 2003 SPO (System Program Offices)

confirmed examples of contract numbers: 1994 - present SPO prefix on the tag

 

Stock numbers

195? - 1956 example of stock number "72-R-307-112" ????

1957 - 1975 FSN (Federal stock number), 11-digit number

1975 - present NSN (National stock number), 13-digit number

 

hi there mate thaks for this info... edwin /sydney australia

[Old Marine]

Thanks SgtMonroe, that is VERY helpful. Good work!

 

Dennis

[Apache26]

An excellent tutorial! Thanks for all the references.

[sgtmonroe]

For those that saved the information I prepared (and presented in the thread) - I have resized them so they are a little larger and easier to read.

 

Further, I have updated the last section. I have added information concerning the change of the fiscal year in 1976.

 

If anyone is interested, I have all the information in pdf format, which makes it easier to read. Just PM me.

[M1garandgunner]

Thanks for this info!

[ken]

Thank you for posting this thread. I have an ERTL helmet cover with the following markings:

 

BOYER HELMET CAMOUFLAGE

CONTRACT NO. 8189

8415-261-6833

 

Is this a USMC cover since there is no prefix? I am confused because I do not believe an ERTL was produced that early.

 

Any help is appreciated. Thanks

[ATCMan]

 

[ATCMan]

 

A minor nit to pick - the FY76 to FY77 transition was for the entire U.S. federal government, not just the DOD logistics/supply system. Congress for various reasons decided to change the months of the fiscal year from July through June to September through October. In doing so 3 months of the calendar year 1976 were not covered - July/August/September. Those months were coded in internal government systems as being for the fiscal year "7T", i.e. "transition".

Thus:

 

FY 75: 1 July 1974 to 30 June 1975

FY 76: 1 July 1975 to 30 June 1976

FY 7T: 1 July 1976 to 30 September 1976

FY 77: 1 October 1976 to September 1977

 

The fiscal year 7T caused havoc across many government computer systems, as a standard year could be stored numerically, but a year that ended in an alphabetic character had to be stored as alphanumeric, and you could not do computations with it. The 7T was also used for contracting purposes, but I have no idea if DOD or contractors ever marked procured equipment with the 7T code. There's probably some sort of documentation buried in the National Archives about that.

 

John Hairell ([email protected])

[mikie]

Many years later, this thread is still useful. Thanks for all the efforts! 

Mikie