Posted on Jun 12, 2019
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?
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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?
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
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 1688
7 hours of non-consecutive (meaning 3hours here 4 hours there) of rest is within regulations, according to
FM7-22 (and is a Field Manual, not a regulation). Better solution:Get out of the Army this is not for you, army don’t need you. Become a business owner where you don’t have a boss and can wake up whenever you want, that’s if your clients and attention to the business let’s you. You say you work in a hospital? I know civilian nurses who work 12 hours a day and commute 1hour to work 1hour back. 10 left outside work with 2 hour to cook/clean 2 to spend with the family and 2 to wake up and commute, with 4 hours to sleep on a lucky week, there’s your 24hour day. Oh! And there’s no regulation, you either show to work or get fired (too easy no art.15 involved). Good luck in life!
FM7-22 (and is a Field Manual, not a regulation). Better solution:Get out of the Army this is not for you, army don’t need you. Become a business owner where you don’t have a boss and can wake up whenever you want, that’s if your clients and attention to the business let’s you. You say you work in a hospital? I know civilian nurses who work 12 hours a day and commute 1hour to work 1hour back. 10 left outside work with 2 hour to cook/clean 2 to spend with the family and 2 to wake up and commute, with 4 hours to sleep on a lucky week, there’s your 24hour day. Oh! And there’s no regulation, you either show to work or get fired (too easy no art.15 involved). Good luck in life!
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There's no sleep if you're in combat arms and why should you be an exception and allowed to get more sleep than everyone else? If you cant hang,don't reenlist!
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Reading some of these comments just makes me shake my head. We get it. You're all heroes for getting by on so little sleep and OP is just whiny and weak right? Get over yourselves. Getting so little sleep consistently for a long period of time is terrible for your health and commands should be working to help Soldiers balance sleep with duty rather than forcing overly rigid schedules on them. Proper sleep is just as important to fitness as working out and eating right. Not to mention that this Soldier works in healthcare. When you all go to seek medical care, would you rather be in the hands of someone who is healthy and well rested, or an overworked, sleep deprived Soldier?
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Honestly if you’re a medic and working inside of a hospital clinic during 1600 to 0 hours you can get with your brigade surgeon or your PA to make an exception with your first sergeant because your PA outranks your first sergeant and as a clinic medic you fall directly underneath your PA as your first line. That’s how it was for me at least and I just went to my PA and everything was a okay. Try that out.
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Are you perhaps one of those poor deluded souls who believes the Army is a 9-5 job where your NCO's care about you being butt-hurt? Puhleez!
I worked 12 hour shifts on a 6 on/3 off rota and if my break day fell on a weekday I was still expected to show up for either the morning or the afternoon PT formation.
Not only did I frequently not get enough sleep, I had to do PT on my days off.
I'll say it again: Puhleez!
I worked 12 hour shifts on a 6 on/3 off rota and if my break day fell on a weekday I was still expected to show up for either the morning or the afternoon PT formation.
Not only did I frequently not get enough sleep, I had to do PT on my days off.
I'll say it again: Puhleez!
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What’ve the 1SG should have the afternoon PT session conducted 1400-1500 that would give the 1600 to midnight shift more of a solid schedule. But I’m retired and in my day we would have just embraced the suck. I never did think PT after working all day was very effective anyhow Soldiers wouldn’t it there all better to do it before work call.
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You got 4-5 hours of sleep and are complaining of having to be at PT? I remember having to do PT at 0530 everyday while in the Corps, granted you work the night shift and should be able to be excused from PT. Until then show up for PT or suffer the consequences
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How do you solve it? You suck it up and do PT. I've had plenty of no sleep PT sessions when I was in. I mean literally out of my street clothes and into my PT gear.
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Had to do a PT test the day after everyone was “encouraged “ to give blood. Run times? Not so much.
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I would love to hear the soldiers PSGs narrative. Most good E7s would step up to the plate and fix this with the 1SG unless there was an issue with this soldiers ht/wt and or PT score. Deliberately disrupting any soldiers sleep schedule for no compelling reason is bad leadership. Period. As was mentioned already, if you have never worked the off shift continuously, you dont understand the effect it has on a person. I would make a plan for these off shift soldiers and submit it to the 1SG who, if he or she is worth a damn, would attempt to influence the CMDR.
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Can you ask your manager , NCOIC for a possible schedule change to accommodate your TOPs mandate?
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If you have certain jobs in the Army, life isn't always fair. I am an old SIGINT type. We worked rotating shifts. Working the midnight shift was bad. Twice a year we took our APFT. Oh joy, once after a mid & then 6 months later, maybe one in the late afternoon there were red flag warning over heat & humidity. Many times we would do our annual weapons qualification after working a midnight shift. Yeah, we weren't shooting at no 0830 hrs either. We got to the range straight from work & then had to wait until afternoon to shoot. No sleeping either. Did it suck? Oh yeah. Was it fair? No. But we sucked it up & drove on.
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The army only requires you to have 4 hours of sleep. Seeing you are not like a normal soldier and am working a civilian type shift he should allow you to have a formation at 1330 for accountability and PT, and at work at 1600.
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Sleep for a while.....do PT.....Go back to bed....WTF is the problem? Your mommy not doing your thinking anymore? Go to sick call and tell them your vaginitis is acting up.
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