Creating the 'Mils' Symbol

Summary: Different industries use their own terminologies and symbols. In the military, one symbol is referred to as the "mils" symbol. This tip explains what it is and how to create it. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003, and Word 2007.)

When writing documents that are used in the military or by contractors dealing with the military, it is sometimes helpful to create a special symbol called the 'mils' symbol. A 'mil' is an angular measure where there are 6,400 mils in a circle, compared to the usual 360 degrees in a circle. (Some nations, such as those comprising the former Soviet Union, use 6,000 mils in a circle, not 6,400.)

The symbol for a mil is a lower-case 'm' with a forward-slash through it. (It is impossible to show what such a symbol look like in this text-only newsletter.) The mils symbol can be produced through the use of fields. For instance, the following EQ field will create the proper field:

{ EQ \o(m,\s\do2(/)) }

Note that the forward-slash is set to a slightly larger font size than what is used for the letter m, in order to give a better appearance.

Tip #3506 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

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Creating the 'Mils' Symbol