What is Military Time?
Military time, also known as the 24-hour clock, is a method of telling time that uses a 24-hour format. The day begins at 00:00 (midnight) and ends at 23:59.
This system is widely used in various industries and professions that require continuous operations, such as the military, law enforcement, fire services, hospitals, aviation, railways, and others where precise timekeeping is essential.
By using 24-hour intervals, military time eliminates any confusion between AM and PM, as the day is clearly divided from midnight (00:00) to just before midnight (23:59).
Unlike the traditional 12-hour clock, which runs from 1:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and then 1:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight, military time operates without this division.
How to Read Military Time?
Military time is written in a four-digit format without a colon between hours and minutes. For instance, 6:30 a.m. in civilian time becomes 0630 in military time.
The day starts at midnight with 0000, which is pronounced “zero hundred hours” or simply “zero hundred.”
From there, one hundred is added for each hour. So, 1 a.m. is written as 0100 (read as zero one hundred) hours. Then 2 a.m. is written as 0200 (read as zero two hundred) hours, and so on.
The morning hours are straightforward, continuing until midday, which is 1200 (read as twelve hundred) hours.
After noon, instead of starting over at 1, military time continues chronologically. Therefore, 1 p.m. is 1300 hours (read as thirteen hundred) hours. Then 2 p.m. is 1400 hours (read as fourteen hundred) hours, and so on.
Due to this, the afternoon and evening hours tend to be trickier for new enlistees to memorize.
The day concludes just before midnight at 23:59 (read twenty-three fifty-nine) hours, which in civilian time would be 11:59 p.m.
Memory Tip!
For those learning military time, a simple method for converting afternoon and evening hours into civilian time is to subtract 12.
For example, to convert 2000 hours, subtract 12 from 20 to get 8 p.m.
Military Time Chart
“Precise time is crucial to navigation, geographical positioning for locating forces and targets, and secure communications…. Military time, therefore, is more than a method for counting the hours. It’s also an authoritative source of time and a set of methods to disseminate synchronized time worldwide.”
– Encyclopedia of Military Science
Where is Military Time Used?
Many countries use military time, with Germany and France being notable examples. In these countries, the 24-hour system is employed exclusively in all contexts, including casual conversation.
In Romania, the 24-hour clock is used exclusively for both government and private citizens. In Asia, Vietnam has been using the system since the 19th century. While the UK employs both systems: the 24-hour clock for government documents, train schedules, and transit, while the 12-hour clock is used in other areas.
Interestingly, while the U.S. military uses the 24-hour clock, the United States as a whole primarily uses the 12-hour clock.
Additionally, as of 2024 (according to the World Population Review), 17 other countries also use the 12-hour clock. These include Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Ireland, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Philippines, and Saudi Arabia.
to switch to Military to Standard Time Conversion
to switch to Military to Standard Time Conversion
