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?

Well buttercup, I served as an MP. I’ve worked a rotating shift 06:00-14:00, 14:00-22:00, and 22:00-06:00. There are days that we would come off the night shift and have to report for the middle shift. We normally did PT before shift, get dismissed to shower and then report back for weapon draw and Guardmount inspection. Then head to the MP station for the shift briefing. So the normal days were 14+ hours. It’s the Army! We had to stay in shape and not for the APFT but for our lives. If you’re complaining about this? I think you’ve never deployed or done field exercises. Wait till you do! You hit the ground running till the mission is done. Then you’re able to get some rest! The army is not all about Garrison work in a hospital. Sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves suck it up and do what is needed on no sleep.

Four hours rest. That was the number when I was in. Guard duty, two on, four off. Suck it up butter cup. Do the PT and go back to sleep. Quit your bitchen. You probably need the PT. It is good for you.

Read some of the comments they make sense. The military isn’t a democracy, either get with the program or get out! Pretty simple. Especially with the virus thing civilians are looking for hospital workers as I speak

Go to bed Instead of running to the Club,

“4-5 hours sleep.” Really? I would be on duty for 12 hours, then have CDO duty for 24 hours. And there were times I had to do PT in the middle of all that. It’s the military. If you want bankers hours, then perhaps you should change your career path.
If you know you have PT, go to bed earlier—if possible and I know that difficult with your shifts, but perhaps you don’t get out of bed until 30 minutes prior to your shift. That, way, you can get in a little extra sleep before your duty and add that to your sleep time prior to PT.
Either way, life isn’t fair and PT, regardless of how difficult it can be, is meant to keep you in peek physical condition. As a military man/woman, that should be something that you appreciate.

Go to PT

Ask your First Line to speak with the Hospital Administration to see if they are willing to adjust shifts to 1500-2300 - 2300-0700 - 0700-1500 OR 1700-0100 - 01-0900 - 09-1700 to accomodate the new CDR/1SG. That will increase crash time a bit OR allow you to attend the 1600 formation. On the other hand, the Hospital Administration - of which I'm sure has its own Commander and Chain of Command, which might include the CDR/1SG in it and speak with them because I'm confident you are probably not the only individual impacted by the TOPs formation policy. However, if none of the above occurs, then as the old saying goes - you SUCK IT UP.

Run it up your chain of command that conducting PT 5 hours after then end of shift is not the best idea, you can accomplish the mission without inconveniencing the troops because believe it or not, troop welfare should absolutely be a priority but to be entirely honest most young members of the military get by without 8hrs regardless so you may have an issue convincing higher

I worked in an Emergency room we had three shifts at one I worked you want to talk about being tired and going to PT? You would be on one shift for a couple of months and then rotate to another. PT was at 0530 First Shift started at 0800. Which gave you an hour and a half to drive to work get a shower and change. Second shift started at 1630 and ended at 2400. Third shift 2400 to 0800. We only had ONE PT Formation 0530. The night shift never made it to PT. If you had a Consistent Passing score on the PT test they didn't give you any grief. Sooner or later you would be rotated to first or second shift. I guess they figured the night shift was a chance to get some rest and do personal PT something you liked to do for about two months.

I agree with the other comments being made. When you are deployed you won't have the luxury of telling the wounded hold on I need sleep. Their lives will depend on you just as your squad is depending on you in Garrison. If you can't be depended on then maybe you shouldn't be in the service.

For someone that doesn’t want to sound like your whining you seem to whine a lot. Time to put your big girl pt uniform on, and come to terms which the fact that you joined the Army. If this is your biggest concern about your time in the military I can assure you your very lucky.

If only 5 people showed up for PT, there are bigger leadership problems in your command than you getting 4-5 hours of sleep. Sure, you aren't in the infantry on continuous ops, but mission accomplishment in or out of the field doesn't work on the concept of fair. There is a reason why people say "Thank you for your service", because you are expected to serve and sacrifice for something bigger than yourself and not everyone can do that. Prioritize your time, focus on your mission and developing into a leader yourself; one day when someone thanks you for your service you will be proud that you met the challenge and know that those who haven't served have no idea what that service really means. You will get farther by being a professional soldier than by throwing out regulations about how you are being treated unfairly.

You're going to have to embrace the suck. Until you get promoted or until that that 1SG leaves, you have no choice. And PT is to ensure physical readiness in a world that that unfortunately hates the United States and American troops. Always remember that these exercises may save your life, or the lives of your Team one day. It's all to prepare you and to keep you alive. If, God forbid, something like Fort Hood ever happens again, you might be the person able to respond, and then you'll be thanking that 1SG for saving your life. Respectfully -

Well Spc. I’m sure anyone we may go to war with will allow you to get 8 hours of sleep. Get up shut up and PT. Then go clean up and go back and hit the rack. You will still get your sleep.

Suck it up buttercup. You can sleep when your dead, or retired. Till then .... do P.T.

Just suck it up and do what you are told soldier and be thankful that a lot of others you are getting enough to eat. Many people in the military, far older and in lots of cases far more senior than you, routinely get far less sleep that your 4 to 5 hours. This is really not a hardship and with time and perseverance you will get use to it.

You don’t need sleep brother, we’ll sleep when we die. Are Battles need you/us. It’s not about you brother it’s about your brother/sister to your left and right. Hooyah

You probably will not find anything in and regs. Perhaps PT could commence at 1400 hrs rather than 1600 hrs. This way you would have time to shower up and get to your 1600-0000 shift and not have to worry about the o dark thirty PT formation. Talk to some of your platoon Sergeants and then run it up to the 1SG and commander. Normally common sense should prevail...if that does not work ( time adjustments) then you will just have to suck it up for a while like all good Soldiers do until you can change your schedule. Keep in mind, PT is critical in all outfits. Good luck. Hoooah!

You make the 0530 formation SPC. You suck it up. You can rest after the formation. The 1SGT should already made you aware of this. No excuse for you.

On the one hand I feel your pain, I worked 6 & 2 rotating shifts - days, swings, mids, 6 days on, 2 days off - for the better part of 7 years. On the other hand, not once in 11 years did I have an assignment where PT was *included* in my regular work shift. I suggest that if you *must* get 8 hours of sleep per day, that you do two 4 hour shifts before & after PT. We've all had to develop adaptive coping strategies when life presents us with hurdles.