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?

I was a firefighter working 24 hrs shifts. It wasn't unusual for us to get off a shift in the morning and go straight to PT. You are a military member and belong to the military 24/7. You are ready to perform whatever task they require of you at any time of day or week. The sooner you realize this the faster you can quit whining about it. If you can't follow orders then the military is not for you. Don't re-enlist.

There are a bunch of "I remember when it was so hard" replies. When does the 0800-1600 shift do PT? Probably 0530; this gives time for clean-up and breakfast before the shift. When does the 0000-0800 shift do PT? Probably 1600; 8 hours before shift. That sucks! It sounds to me that the 1SG is stuck in a different timeframe, not around-the-clock shifts. The senior NCOs need to discuss with him a better shift/PT schedule. Something akin to the early shift that does PT 2.5 hours before shift. This gives equity to all the shifts. No one coming in 8 hours early for PT and no one conducting PT with minimal sleep. It also aligns better with the rest of the Army's 10/11-hour days.

Cant speak to the culture of todays military but there was a combat readiness requirement that physical conditioning was a significant factor in years past. Professional soldiers are fit physically and mentally. If you are looking for a reason to not follow his lawful order then apply for a deferment based on your physical issues or mental desire to be exempt from the oath you took when raising your right hand.

Go to bed earlier....

Sorry butter cup but do your job that includes being physically fit. The enemy won't care you only got 4 or 5 hours sleep. Learn to overcome what you precieve as unfair and realize in the end you'll be tougher, more fit and better able to survive what's thrown your way

Wow, I remember those days. However, I would present to your 1SG a solution to your problem versus "sounding" like a complaint. In my junior days on active duty, I was majority shift work. We presented that the section can do PT as a group outside of the company formation. If, however, we had an APFT failure, they would have to do PT with the company and additional PT. That was how it was presented, and our particular 1SGs were accommodating because they understood the difficulties of shift work. But you know your PLT SGT and 1SG. Ensure you can convey the proposed solution, pros, and cons, and articulate possible questions they may have. Also, the Section NCO would provide a daily PERSTAT to 1SG.

That should get you started.

Just realized this is a bunch of years old......oh well.

Wow. Is this for real? You joined the military and this is what you're complaining about? Maybe you should have joined the Boy Scouts instead.
I guess the Navy trained us to do anything drunk/hungover because a lot of days there wasn't any sleep...
I can't believe someone actually asked this...

How do you bring it up? Have you tried bringing it up to your supervisor? Maybe they will let you show up to the 1600 formation, then go to work? I would not say it is whining to ask the question. Complaining about the answer would be whining. Oh and FYI, you are going to have to explain yourself until people can trust you. That is just a fact of life.

I would just go to sleep after PT. When I was on a shift like that I went to sleep at 0800.

It sounds to me like your best bet is to do what you’re directed to do until your ETS date. Then ETS and you won’t have to worry about those mean 1SG’s making you do PT anymore.