Thank you for taking the time to read this guide.  If you find this  guide helpful please click the yes button at the bottom of the page. 

Helpful Hints

Before we get into learning how to read a map and determine an azimuth, I will provide you with a few tips on how you can modify your military map protractor to make it more user friendly.  First you can take white tape and place it on the backside of the protractor under the numbers for the degrees and mils scale.  This will enable you to better view these scales without having to strain your eyes.  White first aid tape, plumbing tape, or any other white tape can be used to make this modification.  The second thing that can be done to the protractor to assist you is to place a piece of string in the center of the protractor to ease with determining direction.  This is accomplished by taking a pin and placing a hole in the center of the protractor on the cross hairs.  Once the hole has been made place a thin piece of string or cord through the center and tie the back in a knot.  This will enable you to move the string along the mils and degrees scale to quickly determine a direction to a location.  These are some of the same techniques that America's soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines use when they are trying to determine a direction on the ground using a protractor and map.

Parts of a Protractor

The military map protractor has three scales, 1:50,000, 1:100,000, and 1:25,000.  Your map will determine which scale you utilize on the protractor.  Additionally it has a mils and degrees scale.  An Azimuth in mils can be anywhere from 0 - 6400 mils.  Due North is either 0 mils or 6400 mils, East is 1600 mils, South is 3200 mils, and West is 4800 mils.  Degrees will be from 0 - 360 degrees.  North is 0 or 360 degrees, East is 90 degrees, South 180 degrees, and West is 270 degrees.  The mils scale is typically on the outer portion of the protractor with the degrees being on the inside of the protractor.

How to Determine an Azimuth Using a Protractor

1. Plot the location of two points on the map.

2. Using a straight edge draw a straight line between the two points.  Note:  The line should be long enough to intersect both sides of the degrees or mils scale on the protractor.  This line is known as the azimuth line.

3. Place the index or center cross hairs of the protractor on a north-south (horizontal) line that intersects the azimuth line.  This will allow for greater accuracy when determining the azimuth.  Ensure that the 0 degrees or 0 mils line is at the top of the protractor with the numbers increasing in a clockwise direction.

4. Start at the 0 line and work your way around the protractor in a clockwise direction until you reach the point where the azimuth line crosses the scale of the protractor.  Note:  When using the degrees scale each tick mark represents 1 degrees.  When using the mils scale each tick mark represents 20 mils.

5. Read the azimuth where the azimuth line crosses the scale.

How to Use the Protractor to Determine a Grid

To locate a a point within a grid area you must use a protractor.  Below are the steps to do so.

1. Determine the grid size you are working with by consulting your map.

2. Taking the appropriate grid scale triangle, place the base of the cutout triangle on the horizontal grid line (east-west) that forms the base of the grid square containing the target area or point.  The right side of the triangle should be aligned with the vertical grid line that is to the left of the grid square containing the target area.

3. With the protractor in position, slide it to the right ensuring you are keeping the base of the triangular cutout aligned with the horizontal grid line.  Continue to slide the protractor to the right until the vertical side of the cutout is lying on top of the target area or point.  Now look at the bottom of the triangle and read the portion of the point on the meter scale.  The area where the vertical line intersects on the base of the triangle is the number you will pull off.  An example would be if you are using the 78 grid line and the line intersects at the 3 on the base of the cutout then your east-west grid (run) would be 7830.

4. While maintaining the position of the protractor on the map, read the meter scale on the right side of the triangular cutout to find the vertical point.  If the base of your scale is on the 00 north-south grid line, and your point lies under the 5 on the right side of the triangle then your north-south grid (rise) would be 0050.

5. Finally, the figures designating the horizontal and vertical coordinates for the target area or point are combined, giving you the east-west coordinate first, and then the north-south coordinate, thus giving the location to within 10 meters to the location.  For the example provided the grid would be 7830 0050.