What governs the instructions related to shelf life of materials?

The instructions related to the shelf life of materials are governed by the DOD 4140.27M, which is the Department of Defense directive specifically focused on the management of supply chains, including the lifecycle management of materials and their respective shelf lives. This document outlines the policies and procedures that ensure proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous materials, ensuring items are utilized while still within their usable period to maintain safety, effectiveness, and readiness.

DOD 4140.27M provides comprehensive guidance on how materials should be labeled, monitored, and disposed of once they exceed their shelf life. This ensures compliance with safety regulations and operational efficiency, which is crucial in military logistics where the integrity of materials directly impacts operational readiness.

In contrast to the other choices, while MIL-STD-128 pertains to marking of items, and the Material Discrepancy Report is used for reporting issues with shipments, and the FMR 7000.14 deals with financial management regulations, none of these specifically address shelf life management as in-depth as DOD 4140.27M does.