Don't mix flight plans with ATC clearances.

Ok, I won't. But then your statement that every military flight is on a
flight plan is disengenuous.

Let me repeat--upon reaching the training airspace, the flight is
dropped from ATC control and exercises a delay enroute.

That's the part that counts. Never mind the flight plan stuff, that's a
red herring.

The investigation determines who is responsible. There was an
investigation. It was conducted in great detail.

Was this investigation conducted by a disinterested third party?

More to the point, what would the outcome (consequences to the pilot)
have been had the pilot of the fighter been, say, a civilian on his way
to an airshow? Yes, I'm asking you to speculate, but it doesn't seem to
be a very difficult speculation.

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.