Posted on Jun 12, 2019
SPC(P) Medical Laboratory Specialist
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We have a new 1SG and new commander. The 1SG noticed one day that only 5 people in the whole company showed up to PT. Now he put out to all the platoon Sergeants that everyone must show up to PT at either the 0530 formation or the 1600 formation.

However, my section is the only one in the hospital that has a 1600-0000 shift. I am being told by my first line that the 1SG says that I have to be at the morning formation, no exceptions.

I don’t want to sound like I’m whining but at the same time it’s unfortunate that I have to explain to myself as to why this isn’t right.

As a junior enlisted I do feel stuck.

How do I bring this issue up and solve this effectively and professionally?
Also: Do you know of any Army Regulations that can support anything?
Edited 6 y ago
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SSG Pete Berkman
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Stop being a whiny little girl and do the PT without bitching. It’s good for you to learn to “Embrace the Suck”!!!
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SrA Tracy Douberley
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Edited 5 y ago
Seriously!? A soldier is a soldier 24/7. Suck it up or get out. Then you can sleep all day long w/o worrying about a thing.

You are a hot mess, my friend. Good luck with your endeavor.
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MSgt Brian Kaufman
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If you can't PT after 4-5 hours of sleep, the military is definitely not for you!
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1SG Brett Austin
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Having been in the medical side (91B, 91C, 91A, 91W) forever, the only groups excluded from morning PT were those that worked the actual night shift...getting off after 0700 hrs. Unfortunately, it's part of life (less sleep than we want)...whether military or civilian. I know most everyone have said it, but suck it up and push forward. I did catch that you are a E4(P)...you need to set the example. When/if you get to combat...you will NOT be sleeping as much as you do now. BUT, maybe make a suggestion for alternate PT times and even offer to lead it.
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1SG Marcus Whitfield
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You suck it up and drive on, you signed up for the U.S. Army not the Salvation Army. If you have work schedule conflicts, then you might have to do PT on your own, just make sure you can pass the PT when it comes due.
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LTC Brian Croteau
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If you don't get off work until midnight, a 0530 formation seems unreasonable, and a 1600 formation will likely make you late for shift. Talk to your hospital supervisor. Your first NCO in your chain of equal or higher rank than your 1SG, or an officer (nurse, Dr, administrator) equal or higher than your unit commander. Ask for a "report to the 1SG time" somewhere between 0900 and 1500. Earlier would be better because you could "sweeten the pot" with an offer to assist with
those ash-and-trash details that didn't get done early in the day.
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MSG Norman Carter
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First, follow orders.

Second, make a suggestion that your section do PT at a reasonable time (perhaps 1400 hrs, since you have to do at least 1 hour of PT and then shower and get to work by 1600). Your section SGT should be leading this. And be sure that the 1SG will be checking in on the section from time to time. It could help if the section SGT submitted a monthly PT plan/schedule that showed he/she knew what to do to keep the section physically fit.

Third, offer to lead section PT once a week- that will grow your leadership skills and get you out front doing something good. There are a ton of activities and exercises you can do to make this challenging, interesting, and productive. While Friday is usually a 5 mile run, Monday or Wednesday could be 30 mins of yoga and 30 mins of calisthenics (with music!).

Fourth, score 300 on the APFT. Do this while your young (it's easier). But this will also make your section look good at the company training meetings, and your company look good at battalion training meetings.

Fifth, initiative is always part of the solution.

Hope this helps.

MSG Carter
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SPC Brad M.
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I’ve never heard of anybody not showing up to PT formation because they were “tired” without getting severe corporal punishment, and maybe even a company grade Article 15. Especially as junior enlisted. But, I was 11B back in the early 90s, and that was how it went in pretty much every infantry unit in those days, I would guess.
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SCPO William Langston
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First of all, shut up! When you finish whining, shut up again! If you can accomplish that without whining about union rules or some other bullshit. Get up off your lazy and do exactly as your superiors have instructed you to do.

It ain’t Burger King and you don’t get it your way.

I sure hope this helps!!

You’re welcome!

Cheers,
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MAJ John Douglas
MAJ John Douglas
5 y
And this answer is why we have NCOs!
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LCDR Aerospace Engineering Duty, Maintenance (AMDO and AMO)
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5 y
Not a big fan of taking care of your Sailors, eh Senior?
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LTC George Morgan
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Resolve it by completing the order and then work toward being a 1st Sgt.
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LTC George Morgan
LTC George Morgan
5 y
You're a soldier now, so Man-up. Don't tell me I don't understand the Medical Life, I was an Operating Room Supervisor for 42 years out of a 48 year career and never missed a PT requirement!
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PO1 Don Rowan
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Do what your told.
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SGT Charles Bartell
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The problem is you are in a medical unit. With all the different shifts. In a way it is like being in a M.P. unit that has different road shifts.
Most of them do there P.T. before or after their shifts, And that seems to work for them.
It is my opinion that your PSG should talk to the 1sg about the P.T. formation's.
I would see if the P.T. could be done before your shifts, Like most of the Army.
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Maj Rob Drury
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How do you solve the problem?
The first step is to identify the problem.
Your command wants you at PT. You are not at PT. Problem identified.
Get your ass to PT. Problem solved.
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LCDR Aerospace Engineering Duty, Maintenance (AMDO and AMO)
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5 y
Apparently the command also has a 0530-1600 work schedule... yet there he is, working at 2400. I wonder how that happened.
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Maj Rob Drury
Maj Rob Drury
5 y
LCDR (Join to see) I'm guessing it "happened" because it's a hospital, and as such is manned 24/7. This doesn't seem that difficult for a healthy individual under 40. Work until 0000, be at 0530 formation, and go back for a nap before the shift. Of course, I realize that this can be exhausting when one spends one's remaining 14 hours per day bitching and moaning.
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LCDR Aerospace Engineering Duty, Maintenance (AMDO and AMO)
LCDR (Join to see)
5 y
Maj Rob Drury - So... a hospital that's manned 24/7 can require a Soldier to be there for a late shift - but not accommodate PT at an hour that is actually appropriate for that shift? That's the real problem we've identified. And it's perfectly reasonable for that Soldier to ask advice on how to resolve it.
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SSG Bill McCoy
SSG Bill McCoy
>1 y
There is no viable reason why her 1SG or CO coudn't have remedial PT for those working the same shift as the medic in question. A prime consideration too is her MOS - a Medic/Lab Tech. Thinking about a tired Lab Tech, I could see an issue with attention to detail and getting lab results wrong, could endanger a patient(s). Yes, a person could go back and hit the rack again, after PT, but ultimately it will likely cause problems with the qualify of anyone's work. Medics, MP's and other garrison units frequently end up working 12 hour shifts, or work consecutive days beyond a typical 5 day week. When we worked 12 hour shifts (I did in both my MOS's - Medical and MP), we were excused from PT. In one TDY, we worked 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week for several weeks; pulled Motor Stables at 0700 after a 12 hr shift; then changed for Personnel Inspections, then had to clean the barracks for an XO's insane inspection. When MP's began to wreck cars and hit a bullseye in the clearing barrel, things rapidly changed.
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SSgt Jerrol Olson
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Is this a serious question?
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AN Robert Miller
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Uhhhh...ya do it bud
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PO1 John Albritton
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Suck it up buttercup, this is the military not some cushy civilian gig. Get deployed to a hot zone and see what life is really like. Go do your PT and stop whining about it.
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LCDR Joseph Richter
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My feelings, you're a soldier first and you do what you need to show for unit formation. As a retired Health Admin type, I faced these issues all the time, you have freak working hours so go talk to your hospital first line supervisor and tell them of the situation and see if you can do a 1700 to 0030 and take a 1/2 hour lunch on PT days. This is my input but I'm going to be honest with you, I never got involved with issues like this with the troops, my senior enlisted and chiefs took care of it. An interesting talking point would be..... "Hey first Sgt, will you look at this? I get off at 0-dark thirty and race home to hit the rack, at the mid sleep hour mark they offer PT and at 1600 I'm scheduled to PT and work at the same time, can you help me figure out how to make this work? When I work my shift I give 110% runnin' and gunnin' all night, at the end of that shift I'm spent, I need my rest, I am afraid if I PT in a stuper, I may get hurt and then loose a troop to unit, PT and they loose me at the hospital. Everybody looses, I want to give you my best, can you work with me so I can do that?"
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Maj Robert Dudley
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Um, go to PT and quit whining. You’re a soldier for crying out loud.
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Sgt Abraham Marcos
Sgt Abraham Marcos
5 y
Thanks sir.
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SPC Bill Palmer
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I was an Army photographer in West Germany from '71 to '73. I also, in my spare time, played in a band for USO/Special Services. We usually played only weekends, but occasionally we played Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. We played in Em and NCO clubs from nearby or far away. On the far away gigs I would get back to the company area just in time to change into uniform and stand in morning formation ready to put in a full day's work. That meant I stayed awake from early Thursday morning until early Sunday morning with no sleep. I was young then and could do that. If you are off shift in time to do PT, that meant you had the time afterwards to get some sleep. I don't see what the problem is. Sorry.
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SGT President
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Edited >1 y ago
Your section should obviously be made personally responsible for your PT. As a side note leadership would do well to assign the best examples of physical fitness available to them to this duty. An irregular duty obviously calls for utilizing small group tactics and increased responsibility expectations for the soldiers. Your problem seems to stem from non engaged leadership; my experience of this was mostly do to arbitrary prioritization at higher echelons within the chain of command or unrealistic expectations for key positions from the chain of command.

There are regulations dealing with sleep requirements. These specify doctrine for maintaining mission capabilities and readiness of soldiers. A minimum of 6 hours off duty during regular operation. Contingent operations I have experienced lasted at the longest longest 42 hours of continuous mission requirements. Contingency operations are entirely mission accomplishment orientated and sometimes the chain of command is unaware of the actual scope of the missions tasked. I call it clearing the desk; when you, as a leader, pass mission taskings off without analyzation and there for lacking strategic planning for sustainment.
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