The 24-hour Clock
The military does not measure time by
the standard 12-hour clock. It uses the
24-hour clock.
A 12-hour clock
uses numbers
from 1 to 12
followed by a.m.
or p.m. to identify
each of the 24
hours in a day.
What does a.m. and p.m. stand for?
What does a.m. and
p.m. stand for?
a.m. — ANTE MERIDIEM, or before
noon
p.m. — POST MERIDIEM, or afternoon
The military uses the 24-hour clock, which
uses the numbers 0000 through 2400.
Under this system, midnight is 0000 or 2400,
1 a.m. is 0100, 1 p.m. is 1300, and so on.
Because a unique number designates
each hour, there is no need to follow it
by a.m. or p.m.
Military Time
• Based on a
24-hour time
standard
What is the military time above, both
a.m. and p.m.?
Military Time
• Based on a
24-hour time
standard
What is the military time above, both
a.m. and p.m.?
0301 or 1501
Midnight
1:00 a.m.
2:00 a.m.
3:00 a.m.
4:00 a.m.
5:00 a.m.
6:00 a.m.
7:00 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
0000 or 2400
0100
0200
0300
0400
0500
0600
0700
0800
0900
1000
1100
Standard Time vs. Military Time
Noon
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
9:00 p.m.
10:00 p.m.
11:00 p.m.
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
2100
2200
2300
Standard Time vs. Military Time
What about Military
Minutes?
Minutes are measured the same way in military
time as they are in standard time, using the
numbers 01 to 59.
Example: 11:45 p.m. standard time would
be written 2345 military time.
Sometimes with the military and emergency
services personnel midnight is expressed
both ways.
Why is midnight
0000 and not 2400?
Military time is always expressed in hours
and minutes without a colon and add the
word “hours” afterward.
Example: 0301 hours
When military time needs to be expressed
down to the second, you insert a colon
between the minutes and seconds.
Example: 0301:38 hours
What time would it be on the 24-hour
clock for the following times?
A. 7:00 a.m.
B. 12:30 p.m.
C. 6:50 p.m.
D. 9:15 p.m.
E. Midnight
What time would it be on the 24-hour
clock for the following times?
A. 7:00 a.m. 0700 hours
B. 12:30 p.m. 1230 hours
C. 6:50 p.m. 1850 hours
D. 9:15 p.m. 2115 hours
E. Midnight 0000 or 2400 hours
Learning how to convert standard time to
military time will greatly benefit you when
on base and ship visits.
Conclusion