How tell military time

military time, also known as 24-hour time, is a way of telling time in which the day starts at midnight instead of 12:00 am. This format of time is mainly used by the armed forces, emergency services and other industries, such as railways and hospitals, that require quick and accurate time-keeping. Despite its widespread use in many countries around the world, it remains somewhat unfamiliar to the general public.

So how does military time work? All times after midday are written using four digits; for example 4:00 pm is 1600 hours and 8:45 pm is 2045 hours. Times before midday are written in one four-digit number, for example 3:30 am is 0330 hours. Minutes are always written in two digits; for example 10 minutes past 2am would be 0202 hours. Midnight, however, is represented with 0000 hours or 2400 hours to indicate the end of a day.

To make it easier to tell military time quickly without having to do any math in your head, you can find a 24-hour clock online or print one out, or simply refer to a conversion table that shows both 12-hour and 24-hour formats.

Unlike standard 12 hour clocks which use A.M. and P.M., military time requires no indication of whether it is morning or evening; although some people may use a "Z" to indicate times after 1700 (5:00 pm). Military personnel can easily determine if they are referring to morning or evening by using a simple system known as A/O (Ante/Post meridiem). The letter "A" stands for before midday (ante meridiem) while "O" stands for after midday (post meridiem). The letter "H" can also be used as an alternative for "O" to represent "hours". So 0600H (0600 hours) would be 6 AM while 1800H (1800 hours) would be 6 PM .