So, who saw the premier of the new Battlestar Galactica?

[Morrus]

A warship is accustomed to performing high intensity operations for extended periods of time. That is what the crew is trained for. Running constant air-ops for five days straight is nothing to the crew of an aircraft carrier (to use the closest terrestrial example).

If you recall the mini-series, Galactica hardly qualifies as a warship. It's an old ship being decomissioned and doesn't have a full crew.

 

[Pbartender]

According to the television show's website, the Battlestars (including the Galactica) have a crew complement of almost 2000. There are only about 50,000 survivors. It would take 1 out of every 25 survivors to fully man the Galactica.

With all there is to do aside from operating the Galactica (remember, the refugee ships need to be crewed and repaired also), and considering how many of the civilians would likely have knowledge or experience applicable to operating a starship, it's not surprising that they're on short crews and long shifts.