The Military Time Converter Simple & Easy Conversion

Whether telling the time via the direct observation of the stars or some other means, precision is paramount to the military. For the precision required in navigation and the syncing of mission resources of today’s armed forces, everyone must be on the same page. Practice converting military time using the following problems. The answers are found in the Answer Key (Math Calculations Chapter section) at the end of the book. To make it even more confusing, the number changes when the United States observes Daylight Savings Time (DST). So, instead of five hours later than Greenwich Mean Time, the East Coast of the United States during the months of March (second Sunday) and November (first Sunday) the time difference will be six hours. The East Coast of the United States will be denoted with the Q letter (Quebec) during Daylight Savings Time. Manually converting military time isn’t difficult but requires basic math. Anything between 1201 and 2359 is basically “p.m.” time. The “p.m.” hours usually give people more trouble, but always remember that 1300 (said “thirteen-hundred”) converts into 1 p.m. Therefore, 1400 converts into 2 p.m., 1500 converts into 3 p.m., and so on and so on. When using local military time, the Military observes Daylight Savings Time, if recognized by the state or country that the base is located in. The official spelling of the A and J time zones is “Alfa” and “Juliett.” Nowadays, however, the English spellings, “Alpha” and “Juliet,” are more widely used. It takes a bit longer to say it, but adding those extra syllables will make it easier to understand what you’re saying, even through the commotion in an ER or over a crackling radio. The real fun starts after 12 noon when the 12-hour system jumps all the way back to 1 while the 24-hour system just keeps counting upward. In other words, for the period from 1 pm to 12 am, you have to subtract 12 to convert to the 12-hour format. Military time utilizes a rather special two-digit number to identify each of the twenty-four hours in a day so a.m.