Common Military Time Conversions

Midnight: 0000 or 2400?

Midnight can be expressed in military time as either 0000 (the beginning of the day) or 2400 (the end of the day). Both are technically correct, but the choice depends on the context:

• 0000 (zero-hundred hours) - Typically used to indicate the beginning of a new day. Example: "The operation begins at 0000 hours on June 5th."
• 2400 (twenty-four hundred hours) - Sometimes used to indicate the end of the current day. Example: "The facility closes at 2400 hours."

Military and aviation operations generally prefer 0000 for consistency, as it aligns with the start of the next day in the 24-hour cycle.

Noon: Always 1200

Unlike the confusion that can occur with 12:00 PM in standard time, noon in military time is always expressed as 1200 (twelve hundred hours). There is no ambiguity because the 24-hour system eliminates the need for AM/PM designations.

Minutes in Military Time

When minutes are involved, military time maintains the same minute values as standard time, but simply expresses them as part of a four-digit number without any separator:

• 3:45 PM becomes 1545 (fifteen forty-five hours)
• 11:30 AM becomes 1130 (eleven thirty hours)
• 7:15 PM becomes 1915 (nineteen fifteen hours)

Healthcare Settings

Hospitals and medical facilities worldwide use military time for patient records, medication schedules, and shift changes to eliminate any AM/PM confusion that could lead to medical errors.

Example: A medication scheduled for 2100 hours (9:00 PM) must not be confused with 0900 hours (9:00 AM), as the 12-hour time difference could have serious consequences.

Aviation and Transportation

Flight schedules, train timetables, and shipping manifests typically use military time for precision and international standardization.

Example: A flight departure scheduled for 1645 hours (4:45 PM) will be displayed that way on international flight information systems.

Emergency Services

Police, fire departments, and emergency response teams use military time in their logs and communications to ensure accurate time recording during critical situations.

Example: An incident reported at 0235 hours (2:35 AM) would be logged with that timestamp in police records.

International Business

Many multinational companies use military time for scheduling across time zones to minimize confusion and standardize time references globally.

Example: A conference call scheduled for 1400 hours UTC provides a clear reference point for participants across different time zones.

Converting Standard Time to Military Time

1. For AM hours (12:00 AM to 11:59 AM):
   • For 12:00 AM (midnight), use 0000
   • For 1:00 AM through 9:59 AM, add a leading zero (1:00 AM = 0100)
   • For 10:00 AM through 11:59 AM, use the hour as is (10:30 AM = 1030)
2. For PM hours (12:00 PM to 11:59 PM):
   • For 12:00 PM (noon), use 1200
   • For 1:00 PM through 11:59 PM, add 12 to the hour (2:45 PM = 1445)

Converting Military Time to Standard Time

1. For hours 0000 through 1159:
   • For 0000, use 12:00 AM
   • For 0100 through 0959, remove the leading zero and add AM (0600 = 6:00 AM)
   • For 1000 through 1159, keep the hour as is and add AM (1030 = 10:30 AM)
2. For hours 1200 through 2359:
   • For 1200, use 12:00 PM
   • For 1300 through 2359, subtract 12 from the hour and add PM (1500 = 3:00 PM)

Mental Math Shortcut

For quick conversions from military time to standard time, if the hour is 13 or greater:

1. Subtract 12 from the hour
2. Add PM to the result

Example: To convert 1930 → 19 - 12 = 7, so it's 7:30 PM.