How the 24-Hour Military Time System Works (2024)

FAQs

How the 24-Hour Military Time System Works? ›

How to Read Military Time. There is no a.m. or p.m.

Military time uses the 24-hour clock to tell the time. Military time uses four numbers without a colon. The first two numbers show the hour, and the last two numbers show the minutes. For example, 9:45 a.m. would be written 0945 and spoken as "zero nine forty-five."

Under the 24-hour clock system, the day begins at midnight, 00:00, and the last minute of the day begins at 23:59 and ends at 24:00, which is identical to 00:00 of the following day. 12:00 can only be noon (midday).

Just like a 12-hour digital clock, military time is displayed in four digits. The first two digits represent the hour and the last two digits represent the minutes. 0000 (pronounced “zero-hundred”) is midnight, and 1200 (pronounced “twelve-hundred”) is noon. Anything between 0001 and 1159 is basically “A.M.” time.

A time of day is written in the 24-hour notation in the form hh:mm (for example 01:23) or hh:mm:ss (for example, 01:23:45), where hh (00 to 23) is the number of full hours that have passed since midnight, mm (00 to 59) is the number of full minutes that have passed since the last full hour, and ss (00 to 59) is the ...

Most Americans prefer the a.m.-p.m. system instead of the 24-hour clock. But why? Historians believe Babylonians came up with the concept of the 12-hour clock. It's believed they were inspired by the 12 lunar patterns and 12 zodiac signs in their annual calendar.

Like the 12-hour format, the first two digits represent the hour, and the last two represent minutes. With military time, the day starts with “0000” (zero-hundred hours, or midnight). Anything between 0100-11:59 is AM time; anything after 1200 is PM time.

Military time uses a leading zero and doesn't have a colon, while 24 hour time uses a colon but not a leading zero. For example, 8 o'clock AM is shown as 0800 in military and 8:00 in 24 hour time. 8 PM would be 2000 (military) and 20:00 (24 hour).

The use of military time reduces potential confusion that may be caused by using AM and PM and also avoids potential duplication when giving scheduled medications. For example, instead of stating medication is due at 7 AM and 7 PM, it is documented on the medication administration record (MAR) as due at 0700 and 1900.

Although the phrase "military time" is commonly used, this time system was not invented by the military. The 24-hour clock had already been employed throughout Europe for years before the U.S. military adopted it. The U.S. Navy began using the 24-hour clock in 1920, after becoming familiar with it during World War I.

Why does military time exist? ›

Eight AM is 08:00, whereas 8:00 PM is 20:00. It is used to eliminate confusion between AM and PM. Since the military operates around the clock,this confusion might otherwise be possible.

Well, you know that a military clock has 24 hours. So if it's after the 12 o'clock Mark. on the 24 hour clock, you subtract what it is by 12. So if it's 13, you subtract 12, it's 1 o'clock.

The question sometimes arises whether midnight is written as 2400 or 0000. Military and emergency services personnel refer to midnight both ways. However, digital watches and clocks that display time in a 24-hour format and computer equipment treat midnight as the start of a new day and express it as 0000.

Military (USA) time operates on a 24- hour clock that begins at midnight which is referred to as 0000 hours, with 1:00 a.m. being 0100 hours, 2:00 a.m. being 0200 hours, etc. all the way to 11:00 p.m. being 2300 hours.

A soldier in basic training works 24/7. After training: PT 6:30-7:30, then back to work at 9, leave around 5. Some 24 hour... Not much, most of the time it is the enlisted working the long hours.

For military personnel, a tour of duty is usually a period of time spent in combat or in a hostile environment. In an army, for instance, soldiers on active duty serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the length of their service commitment.