What does 1600 military time mean?

Have you ever seen military time where the hours are in numbers over 1300? That type of time-telling is known as Military Time and is often used by Armed Forces personnel and other members of the military. So, what does 1600 military time mean?

1600 Military Time is a way of recording and tracking time that eliminates the need for the traditional am/pm format. In other words, instead of saying 4:00 pm, it is written a 1600 hours. To ensure clear communication among personnel, Military Time uses 24-hour clock notation. That being said, 1600 Military Time is equivalent to 4:00 pm using regular (12-hour) time notation.

In comparison to 12-hour system, understanding and using Military Time can take some getting used to—particularly when seeing or saying the hour portion over 1300. To help make things easier to understand, use these simple tips when converting military time to regular (12-hour) time:

• If it's an hour before noon the day start with a "0" (0430 translates to 4:30 am).

• If it's an hour after noon subtract 12 from the leading number (1600 becomes 4:00 pm).

• If it's midnight subtract 12 from the leading number (1200 becomes 12:00 am).

• Add 12 when PM times are needed (1300 turns into 1:00 pm).