During United States Government Fiscal Year (FY) 1967 (1 July 1966 through 31 June 1967) the Defense Supply Agency (DSA) "contract number" is changed and designated the Procurement Instrument Identification (PII) number. The PII number is broken down as follows: the first three characters (usually letters) are the identifier of the agency that issues the instrument (or "contracting agency" - the agency that secures the contract). The next set of three characters (usually numbers) identifies the "class" of item. The next two characters are the last two digits of the Fiscal Year the instrument (or "contract") is awarded. The next character (always a letter) indicates the type of instrument (or "contract") of which there are many (all corresponding to letters in the alphabet). The last four digits are the serial number of the instrument (or the "contract number"). The DSA prefix (the normal contracting agency of clothing and individual equipment) of the PII number remains unchanged from FY1967 through FY1977.
PII example:
DSA100-74-C-0001
Whereas "DSA" is the "contracting agency." "100" is the item "class." "74" is the fiscal year the contract is awarded. "C" is the type of contract. "0001" is the last four digits of the "contract number."
During FY1976 the date range of the fiscal year is changed. FY1976 runs the normal date range (1 July 1975 through 31 June 1976) but an additional three months are added and a "second" FY1976 is created. This fiscal year is designated FY1976T and runs the additional three months of 1 June 1976 through 30 September 1976. Beginning with FY1977 the new fiscal year runs from 1 October of the current year through 30 September the next year. This fiscal year system remains in place to date.
FY1977 (1 October 1976 through 30 September 1977) is the last Fiscal Year the DSA prefix appears in the PII number. On 1 January 1977 the DSA, due to growth and expanded responsibilities, is renamed Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).
Due to the DSA being renamed DLA, beginning in FY1978 (1 October 1977 through 30 September 1978), the prefix of the PII number is changed to DLA. The DLA prefixed PII number remains in use from FY1978 through FY1993.
[LEFT] The manufacturer's label on a woodland camouflage pattern Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) COAT, CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN. The coat's PII, DLA100-93-D-0416, indicates a contract let in FY1993 (the last contract year for the "DLA" prefix). Further, this specific BDU coat is from the first contract for the then newly adopted enhanced ripstop hot weather BDUs (made of 50% cotton and 50% nylon).
