In November of 2004 Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School was strafed accidentally by an F-16 in a nighttime exercise.

California Yankee had this to report at the time:

Eight of the 2-inch lead rounds punched through the school's roof, knocking down ceiling tiles.

At least one round struck a child's desk, and others scuffed the asphalt in the parking lot.

Now, two years later, the Air Force is going to pony up for the damage to the tune of $519,070.

MSNBC

Under a settlement announced Wednesday, the Air Force will pay $519,070 in compensation to the Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School. The building was damaged by 27 rounds of inert 20mm ammunition from an air cannon mounted on the plane during a Nov. 3, 2004 nighttime mission over the New Jersey Pinelands.

The military blamed the pilot for the accident, but also said poorly designed controls in the F-16 played a role.

California Yankee questions the amount paid. Was there really that much damage done? State Rep. Jim Saxton says it was for the damage and for "keeping their relationship with the community healthy". So now our military has to pay communities in New Jersey in order for them not to hate them?

The incident occurred at night and nobody was injured. If it had happened to my kids school I wouldn't demand that they pay more than the actual damages in order for me to like them. I pay enough already to these damn schools, why should I pay even more by having my tax dollars marked for the military being diverted to the school system?

I wonder if the extra $70 bucks tacked onto the $519,000 was for the desk.

Tipped by: California Yankee