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