I am being told to go to PT by the command on only 4-5 hours of sleep. As a junior enlisted, how do I solve this problem?

Other responses have alluded to a problem with poor scheduling, toxic leadership, etc; while a look at the scheduling might be appropriate you are in the Army Soldier and required to perform your DUTY as required. So quit complaining, get your ass in gear and do the PT then get your sleep. Your whining reminds me of a so called soldier who wishes his mama was around to tuck him in and see that he is treated well. If this is you then get the hell out of my Army.

First let me get something out there. I am old school military, 1973-2005, So I may sound harsh but not trying to. You joined the Army and now are complaining about having to to do Army stuff, right? Well guess what, you do have to do it. The fact that you choose to act like a civilian and party all night because your shift doesn't start until 1600 is a piss poor excuse. You are not a civilian anymore and really shouldn't think like one. There is a reason to maintain your fitness levels and that is what the Army wishes you to do, so don't get bent out of shape when you are told to do it. I don't know what your mind set is on fitness, but if you are in the medical field, you will sometimes work hard and long hours given the circumstances, if you are mildly or grossly out of shape it will take a toll on you much faster and thereby making you less effective over long periods of duty requirements, this in turn will lead to your fellow personnel to pick up the slack, your slack, and this will not set well with them especially if they are of the same mind set as you and stay out all night. What you are going to end up with is a very inefficient workplace and that is when mistakes are made, and trust me as a former Medic, MP, and Range master, no one can afford mistakes, not when peoples lives are in your hands. So I might suggest that you sit down and seriously re-evaluate your life and what you want out if it because this is not going to work for you in the long run unless you make changes. This is not some summer camp where you have to just push it out for a few weeks and then go back to your regular life. This is your life now and it would be in your best interests to realize this and embrace it fully, or get out and go back to what you were doing before. Either step up, man up, quit whining, and do what you took and oath to do or move on. The choice is yours, the fact that you came here complaining about how hard your life is and asking for ways to get around it, shows me you were not ready for this in the beginning and probably should not have taken the challenge because I don't see that you are ready to accept the requirements to meet that challenge. So, take these answers with a grain of salt and make your own decisions instead of trying to cut corners.

You suck it up. The army is not about eight hours sleep it is about service to your country, sacrifice, and discipline. If those three things or any one of them is less important than sleep than handle it professionally by requesting to be chaptered out of the army for failure to adapt

Suck it up and be a man you’re not a kid anymore
I hope you never have to find out what it’s like being in a real combat
I was stuck in the jungle for nine months, how much sleep do you think we got on a day-to-day basis
Vietnam 1970 to 1971 101st airborne infantry

UNDERWAY I’m expected to stand a 12 hour watch (my division is port and starboard), attend flight quarters when it’s called away, take care of assigned maintenance, and fulfill my duties as a master helmsman. I would be lucky to get 4-5 hours of sleep over the course of 48 hours. There’s no nice way to say it but suck it up buttercup, trust me give it time and you will adjust.

Back when I was in, 85-88 we had to be ready for PT at 05:30 unless you where pulling CQ or going to sick call NO exception. Drunk, hungover, going to bed late didn't matter. My commander like to run so we where always the first out and last to come back in. My suggestion would to be a soldier and do your job. Today's military is like a boy scout or girl scout camp. Grow up and deal with it.

So worst care scenario you're off at 0000, in bed by 0100, up at 0500, and back in the sack at 0730 until 1500? I recall my plt sgt telling me the Army only guarantees 2 hrs of sleep and that's only in peacetime. Grow a set, bucko, this ain't middle school.

Go to PT that will solve your problem

Good question and there are some GREAT responses. As a Company commander with a extremely intelligent, squared away 1SG, our response would be simple. Treat everyone the the same across the board when it comes to formation times, discipline, EEO, EVERYTHING.

BLUF...

Continue to adhere to the policies put in place by your Command team and then, only after you have proven your respect to their guidance as far as PT goes, then come up with a solution for them.

State your solution respectfully and above all ARTICULATE the problem you have at hand. Remember, no one wants to hear excuses, they want to listen to reasons as to why policies need to be changes and especially if they have to treat a certain person, or group of people, differently than the rest...this way they can justify their actions if other Soldiers complain about it to an even higher chain of Command. Make sure to suggest an alternate route that encompasses a fair solution to your problem, in other words.....do not suggest to your 1SG cutting your PT time in half of what the other Soldiers have to do or suggest cutting out PT altogether....that is unfair to the rest and your Command team will never take you seriously again...

Embrace your situation and be grateful for each and every day you are in uniform....that is my diplomatic approach to all issues i have with my higher chains of command...

Your leadership should be allowing for different schedules and letting the senior NCO of your shift run a different PT session. It's not rocket science.

Listen Sad Sack... If you're writing something like this, you shouldn't even be in the service. Put on your big boy pants and man up.

Go to your first line and request shift PT. The army has multiple MOS’s that require to work shifts. MPs do it, cooks do it Medical personnel do it. MOS’s with shift work should do shift specific PT.

After I work my 8 hour day shift 0315-1300 (sometimes later if someone decides to try and sneak drugs into the gate) and then we do PT right after we get off.

But for Swings for instance we would go into PT at 0930 before a 1200 weapons draw and 1730 before a 1900 weapons draw for Mid shift. It’s not an unusual thing to do shift PT. Easiest thing to do is request that it be that way.

Having worked night shift after my Marine Corps service, I feel your pain. From working against your body's circadian rhythm to daily outside noises, I don't think people who don't work overnight fully understand how hard it is to get quality sleep to begin with, which is what's indirectly being asked of you.
I would raise the issue that this is pretty counterproductive to PT's intent, especially working in a medical environment. Averaging 4-5 hours of sleep with work and PT under the added stress of discipline is asking for a compromised immune system. I'd address this with my chain of command and ask for some sort of exception, even if that meant spending lunch doing my PT instead.

You have 9 hours after PT to sleep. What's the problem?

change your habits !! go to bed early get plenty of sleep. or just pt drunk ! we did it in Germany way back when. most guys ran better on Mon. then on Fri. get your shit in gear.

I was Junior enlisted at one time and you have a couple of options.
1) Talk to your PLT SGT and explain the scheduling issue and request an earlier or later time;
2) Talk to your Supervisor if you are uncomfortable talking with the PSG;
2) or show up,show up at 0530.

Awww you poor thing. You have a swing shift, and no way to make accountability with anyone, and you are whining becuase you have to wake up to show up. Maybe you should go talk to the Behavior specialists in the stress office so you can find some way to manage your time, or GROW A PAIR, get your Team leader, Squad leade, and PSG and march them ll into the 1SG;s office and explain tohem that whle everyone else is given their 8 hours to speep, you re getting fucked becuase you are on swing shift without a solution to accountability.
Here's your solution cucpcake: CALL YOUR PSG for accountability, then go back to sleep, OR maybe your entire shift should go to your shit manager and have that person step up and get their accountability done with 1SG so you all are not affected negatively.

Stories like yours are why soldiers are get out because of a lack of common sense leadership. The army has work/rest cycles that were "supposed" to follow but never do. If you work an odd shift leadership "should" take that into account and tell you to do PT at a reasonable time with your shift supervisior....or do PT on your own. I work a night shift and it never suprises me how leadership at all levels forgets that not everyone works durinng the day only.

Lol get you life together and learn some time management skills...

There is no problem to solve. You're in the military -- go to PT.