Military time was invented in 2100 BC by the Egyptians, this means that it is over 4000 years old. It was especially used in World War 1 and World War 2 as armies needed to communicate time without any mistakes. The reason the military used this method of communicating time was to eliminate confusion, not needing to use AM or PM and to get rid of time conversions.
To this day this age-old method of telling time is still being used. Military time is also used by nurses, doctors, pilots, astronauts, scientists, firefighters and cops. Below we explain what military time is and why it is important for you to know and use military time.
What is Military Time?
Military time uses a 24 hour clock, meaning that each hour of the day has its own number. When compared to standard time the difference comes in after 12 PM. in standard time one would say 1 PM in the afternoon, meaning that standard time uses a 12 hour clock. In military time 1 PM would be 1300, 2 PM is 1400 and so on. 12 AM, midnight would be 2400 and the next day would start again at 0100. For more information on how to write and say military time visit this online resource.
Why use Military Time?
There are many reasons why we should use military time. Using military time helps avoid confusion. Many important government agencies use military time like police and emergency services. Telling the right time is especially important when in a crisis and one is under pressure to give the time, having to explain if you mean AM or PM would just take more time and effort. It also helps when scheduling meetings as there will be no confusion as to whether the party means 7 in the morning or 7 in the evening and AM or PM will not be needed to distinguish.
Military time is also great when learning the time. Kids might find it easier to understand and use as each hour of the day has its own number. Standard time also repeats time when military time does not repeat the numbers of time. Using military time when setting alarms also eliminates confusion between AM and PM.
Many businesses and vital information like flight times and boarding passes uses military time. Knowing military time will help in reading boarding passes and have no confusion of when the flight is actually being scheduled. Military watches are also much easier to read than standard time watches.
How to Read and Speak Military Time
It is quite easy to read military time. From 1 AM in the morning until 12 PM the numbers are the same as civilian time. One would write 1 AM as 0100. After 12 PM the numbers just follow so 1 PM civilian or standard time would be 1300, one would pronounce it as ‘thirteen hundred hours’. The time then goes to 12 AM which is 2400 in military time, spoken as ‘twenty-four hundred hours’.
Practice Makes Perfect
The reason civilians would rather use standard time is because it might be easier to write out. Numbers from 1 to 12 have lesser syllables than numbers from 12 to 24. Civilian time might seem easier now, however knowing and learning military time would save people a lot of confusion. Switching one’s phone to military time would eliminate the possibility of setting the wrong alarm time. It also helps with simple things like reading a boarding pass and scheduling meetings correctly. Practice will make perfect and the use of a converter will not be neccessary.