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?

By nutting up and doing your PT..

I would go to your Section leader and Platoon Sergeant and tell your concern and then ask him to see if he can't get another time for those of you who work that particular shift. If he won't asked to see the First Sergeant and if that doesn't work go see the Commander during his open office time. The Commander has said all will conduct PT...and that order must be obeyed so ask for a 3d time for those who have to work that particular shift. But if it isn't forthcoming you have to do the 0530 PT and then go back to bed after it is over.

Talk to your SGT about it & use the 'chain of command.' Attend PT as ordered & look for solutions. That's what leaders do.

Unfortunately for you, you must show up for PT. You are at the bottom of the totem pole, and, as a junior enlisted, you are indeed stuck. Army Regulations support your Company Commander and 1SG on this one. Get up, do your PT, clean up, go back to bed until it's time to get up for work.

You go to PT

First, I would see if there was any way to get adequate rest. Stop going to the Club, get into the sack early, etc. It is possible that you've already done that. If that is the case, I would recommend looking up the Regs for something called "Crew Rest" then contact the IG. Cite the Regs, then let them know the facts. Keep it professional.

As an adaptation, I note that, while 0530 is only five hours off your shift, PT would likely last one, maybe two hours at most. This brings you to 0730, at the latest. You have from (I'd say) 0800 or so, at the latest, to midnight for other activities. I would hit the sack and get supplemental rest from 0800 to noon or one. Then you would have from when you got up to midnight for dining, etc. Leave any "fun" stuff for the weekends. If you can do this, you might get a leg up on your competition; you have shown adaptability and your unit should appreciate that.

As an EM I pulled a late shift job, by the time I was in bed it was 1 a.m.. If we had PT I had to be there. It was a rare occasion when they left me in bed, but I don't recall ever sleeping beyond normal wake up. I reported to my assigned job in the a.m.. and would seek a place to sleep. My problem was solved by one of my local 1st Sgts in the training Brigade, who gave me a room in one of the then semi vacant wooden barracks to grab some z's. It worked out great, it was across the road from my assigned position. There is more to this story but I won't go there. It became my residence and I only showed up at the company when I was on the duty roster. The roughest time I had in the Army was doing pots and pans when they made hot dogs with cheese. 073.10 the best MOS the Army had. LOL!! I didn't ask for it, they just gave it to me. It was the old Army back in the early 60's, us civilians were called to fight in Berlin, and then Cuba. You can adjust your sleeping arrangements via your unit, but you have to be there for announced formations and the duty rooster. As long as you aren't gold bricking, some arrangement can be made. Use the chain of command. That's 60 yrs ago, hopefully you can still do that.

PT is an essential function of your duty. You PT when you are in garrison, and even when you are in a combat zone if possible. There is no reason to NOT do PT. It is as much a part of your job in the Military as your MOS. Find a reason to do PT as opposed to excuses not too. In 32 years I never missed a PT test nor did I fail one. I just accepted that it is a part of my life in the Military. That being said if it is truly interfering with your main duties because of scheduling conflicts then I would recommend you put together a plan to do PT before or after your work schedule. Get a group together that is with your squad or unit and ASK your first line leader if he would approve of such an idea. What ever you do in the Military always use your chain of command. DO NOT go straight to TOP with this issue. That will not go well with your next line leader. That is his or her job.

On a second note about PT. I am now retired and will turn 57 in October. I still till this day do PT even retired. Not because I HAVE too. Because I CAN! Use PT not just for your job but for your health and longevity. Make it part of your every day routine even when you are on leave or just vegging out. Your body and mind will thank you for it in your older age Soldier.

War takes no pause unless the enemy is defeated. The Military is always preparing to conduct battle. It is part of the conditioning and unfortunately it is part of the preparation. Eat when you can, Sleep when you can and Work when you must!

To be honest I worked that hospital life. If you’re working nights and your command wants you to go to PT at 0500 after working your night shift, utilitize your first sergeant/commanders open door policy. Tell them it’s absolutely unacceptable and list your reasons why. If they are unresponsive tell them you would like to utilize the CSM/LTC open door policy. Keep going up from there. You might get shit on, but I guarantee you at some point down the line someone will shut that shit down.

As for all of the other people commenting here, they probably never worked in a hospital and are just telling you to suck it up because they think you’re on cq or staff duty, not working in a lab where a mistake could be costly to them or their loved ones. Fight the good fight and stand up for yourself. Hospital life can suck a whole lot to be honest. You work shit hours and get shit on a lot. It’s the name of the game but don’t let them fuck you like that.

quit your whining shitbag and get your ass to PT, you're GI act like it!

I don't know anything about the Army but it might depend on your duties. Check with the ranking Enlisted or go up the ladder.
In the Air Force I was in the Tactical Air Command. We had our on regs ( which were ignored most of the time). Air Force Regs said we had to had 8 hours of UNINTERRUPTED sleep between fights. When I informed my pilot of this his response was---- Get your ass on the airplane! YES SIR. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and move on.

I get it, it sucks. Many times have stayed at the EM and NCO Club way too long, and went to PT on 3-4 hours sleep, I was far from the only one, the formation would smell of sweat, alcohol, and puke. As for only 4-5 people at PT formation, well, that just wouldn’t happen, all my CO’s were PT addicts, one in particular was push up King of Benning back in the day, Having said all that, from the origin of the thread this Soldier is Medical (REMF). For anyone to think that the standards for PT apply equally to Rear echelon and combat arms MOS once at permanent party, ha. And be honest all of you that are CA, if you had the chance to sham on PT, you would and did when the opportunity arose. During the height of my time in I was a Scout with 3/2 ACR on the Czech/FRG Border, we even did PT at the Border Camps, and Mr. Ft. Benning was our CO. I know what the FM say and what the standards, Reg’s are, I also know what the reality is, besides anyone who sites Reg’s and Standards for decision making is a poor leader and will probably get you dead while try to find his FM.

I will tell you like I was told when I was an E-4 suck it up butter cup. There is no way around it and like SFC Michael said earlier, there is no rest for the weary and if you can't hang, then look into a career field that does not demand so much out of you. Sorry to have to break it to you but as a soldier you do what must be done no matter what. I went through the special forces training and we were put through sleep deprivation so I know what it was like to work with 3 to 4 hours worth of sleep. I don't feel sorry for you just wish that the soldiers were told what they are in for before they join. I enjoyed my time as a soldier and I would not trade it for the world. If I had to do it all over again I would.

Go to your NCO, follow chain of command Offer to lead a PT session at 1400 for the 1600 starting shift workers

Try coming back from the field at midnight and be up in pt uniforms at 4:30. That is the military way. And if you can not hack it then you are definitely in the wrong field of work. And the Civilian working area is a place you might not be able to handle either.

Get up, go to PT

Having been in a medical unit myself (though I was on the line, so I ACTUALLY only got 4 or 5 hours of sleep many nights) I would say it is up to leadership to get a schedule for you. If only 5 ppl showed up to PT one morning, it wouldn't matter what your role was you would be showing up the next day or getting chaptered. It sounds like the 1SG has bigger problems than the medical section. My advice, wait til this all blows over then ask your supervisor to ask for a new PT time that makes sense. Our TMC section had 1600 PT because they started work before morning PT. Sometimes 1SG would show up to make sure they were doing it.

Just about every suck it up response is wrong. I was a navy nuke, a rating notorious for lack of sleep due to watch rotation and maintenance. That said, we valued every ounce of sleep we got. PT in the navy is done on a self-driven basis, the command doesn't have the time to work you out so you do it on your own. The army needs to get with something like that. group PT is fine like once a week but every day is silly, takes away sleep from people who need it (like those working in a hospital with patients, I want them to sleep), and realistically all it does is piss all of the soldiers off. You are adults. you should be able to handle PT on your own. Unless the army can't handle it, which would point to some major problems with leadership and training.

Hydrate, stretch, and make sure you have on dry socks. You think the Taliban cares how much dog gone sleep you get? No they want you burned the hell out. Better learn to deal with that now so when it happens then you'll have learned how to function. In other words, stop bitchin, lace up your damn gofasters and get out to the PT Field! 1st Sgt is waiting on you....!