Military Time Converter (12-hour ↔ 24-hour)
Convert between 12-hour (AM/PM) and 24-hour (military) time formats.
What this calculates
Military and 24-hour time eliminate the AM/PM ambiguity. The US military reads 1500 as 'fifteen hundred hours'; Europe and most of the world just calls it 15:00. This calculator converts in both directions and shows both notations.
Formula & how it works
12 → 24: midnight 12:00 AM = 0000; 12:00 PM = 1200; PM hours 1-11 add 12. 24 → 12: hours 0 = 12 AM; 12 = 12 PM; 13-23 subtract 12 and append PM.
Worked example
3:45 PM = 1545 military / 15:45 24-hour. 0030 = 12:30 AM (half past midnight).
Frequently asked questions
Why 4-digit, no colon?
Military convention drops colons to avoid radio mishearings. Civilian 24-hour still uses 15:45 with the colon.
Midnight: 0000 or 2400?
Both are used. ISO 8601 prefers 00:00 (start of day). 24:00 means end of day in some contexts.
Is there 12-hour military time?
No — that's just civilian time. The whole point of military time is removing AM/PM.
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