Tyler Rogoway @ The Drive is wrong....there is no excuse for our top of the line fighter being destroyed in their hangars...

via Tyler Rogoway @ The Drive...

We have posted pictures showing QF-16s, Mu-2s, and yes, F-22s, sitting among the rubble inside badly damaged hangars at the base. The USAF has stated that aircraft were left behind, with unofficial figures being reported that range from three to 18 of the precious super fighters riding out the storm on site. Even though I repeatedly explained why not all aircraft can fly off in advance of a storm's arrival, I have been inundated with tweets, Facebook messages, emails, and comments ranging from people demanding to know how this could have happened to being outraged that the commanders at the base didn't see that all of the planes flew out and that they should face stiff punishments for their actions. Some even claimed they should have been flown out on transport planes. These are naive and in some cases absurd statements that are totally divorced from the reality of tactical jet operations. Here's why.

Story here.

Read the whole article.  Tyler gives a good explanation of why we shouldn't be angry.

But he leaves one thing out.  Correction.  He downplays the startling fact that he highlights at the end of the article.  We only have around 170-180 F-22s. To lose those planes to anything besides combat is a waste.

Yet what did  we see in this incident?

F-22's destroyed in the hangar!

If an enemy force had launched a sneak attack and destroyed those airplanes we'd all be yelling for heads to roll.  We'd all be demanding to know how the enemy could strike us out of the blue and wondering aloud why we didn't plan better.

Well guess what sports fans.

No nation state did this.

A hurricane that we saw coming for days did the damage. 

This is why Mattis issued the order for readiness rates to climb in just a year.

At the end of the day this is simply a case of mismanagement, arrogance and a failure to plan.  If a PFC can be demoted, put on bread and water, and have his pay taken for losing his weapon then why not a general that lost a billion dollars worth of high tech fighters?