Department of Defense
INSTRUCTION
NUMBER 4165.56
January 7, 2013
Incorporating Change 1, November 30, 2017
USD(AT&L)
SUBJECT: Relocatable Buildings
References: See Enclosure 1
1. PURPOSE. In accordance with the authority in DoD Directive (DoDD) 5134.01 (Reference
(a)), this Instruction reissues DoD Instruction (DoDI) 4165.56 (Reference (b)) to update
established policy, assigned responsibilities, and prescribed procedures for the management and
accountability of relocatable buildings in use by the DoD.
2. APPLICABILITY. This Instruction applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD
Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within the DoD (hereinafter referred to
collectively as the “DoD Components”).
3. DEFINITIONS. See Glossary.
4. POLICY. It is DoD policy that relocatable buildings may be:
a. Acquired, stored, and used within the DoD when these facilities constitute the
most feasible and economical means of satisfying short-term, interim facility
requirements pending the availability of permanent space in existing facilities or
through the construction of a permanent conventional facility.
b. Used instead of conventional, permanent construction when the duration of the
requirement is uncertain such as in a contingency operation pursuant to section 101, title 10
United States Code (Reference (c)).
c. Used instead of conventional, permanent construction when the space is known to
have a recurring mobile requirement, such as the need to move a field office to different
sites on a training range.
