The phonetic alphabet
When a letter has to be understood over a bad connection or a loud range, you say the word, not the letter. B is Bravo, not “bee.” This is the NATO alphabet, used across every U.S. service.
| Letter | Word | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alfa | AL-FAH |
| B | Bravo | BRAH-VOH |
| C | Charlie | CHAR-LEE |
| D | Delta | DELL-TAH |
| E | Echo | ECK-OH |
| F | Foxtrot | FOKS-TROT |
| G | Golf | GOLF |
| H | Hotel | HOH-TELL |
| I | India | IN-DEE-AH |
| J | Juliett | JEW-LEE-ETT |
| K | Kilo | KEY-LOH |
| L | Lima | LEE-MAH |
| M | Mike | MIKE |
| N | November | NO-VEM-BER |
| O | Oscar | OSS-CAR |
| P | Papa | PAH-PAH |
| Q | Quebec | KEH-BECK |
| R | Romeo | ROW-ME-OH |
| S | Sierra | SEE-AIR-RAH |
| T | Tango | TANG-GO |
| U | Uniform | YOU-NEE-FORM |
| V | Victor | VIK-TAH |
| W | Whiskey | WISS-KEY |
| X | X-ray | ECKS-RAY |
| Y | Yankee | YANG-KEY |
| Z | Zulu | ZOO-LOO |
Military time
The clock runs 0000 to 2359, no AM or PM. Four digits: the first two are the hour, the last two the minutes. You say the digits, then “hundred” on the hour. Midnight is “zero hundred.”
| Military | Civilian | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 0000 | 12:00 AM | zero hundred |
| 0600 | 6:00 AM | zero six hundred |
| 0830 | 8:30 AM | zero eight thirty |
| 1200 | 12:00 PM | twelve hundred |
| 1300 | 1:00 PM | thirteen hundred |
| 1500 | 3:00 PM | fifteen hundred |
| 1745 | 5:45 PM | seventeen forty-five |
| 2000 | 8:00 PM | twenty hundred |
| 2359 | 11:59 PM | twenty-three fifty-nine |
After noon, subtract 1200 to get civilian time: 1745 is 5:45 PM. It feels foreign for about a week, then it is automatic.
Pro-words on the radio
A pro-word is a word that stands for a whole idea, so the radio stays short and clear. The ones you hear first:
- OVER I am done talking, your turn.
- OUT End of conversation, no reply expected. You never say “over and out.”
- ROGER I received and understood.
- WILCO Will comply. It already means ROGER, so do not say both.
- SAY AGAIN Repeat your last. Not “repeat,” which has its own meaning.
- STAND BY Wait.
DRILL YOURSELF
The fastest way to own the alphabet is reps. See the letter, say the word, then tap to check.
Why this matters before you sign
This is the cheapest confidence you can buy before you show up. Spell your last name in the phonetic alphabet and read a formation time off a 24-hour clock, and the small stuff stops tripping you so you can focus on the real training.
SOURCES: NATO PHONETIC ALPHABET (ICAO/NATO STANDARD) · FM 6-02, SIGNAL SUPPORT TO OPERATIONS, AND TC 7-21.13 (RADIO PRO-WORDS AND TIME) · CURRENT AS OF PULSE CHECK DATE