ROC-
Some Americans are tough on America in the shadow of Big Business uber alles.
Clinton devastated the military, while paying no attention to major legal questions, etc.
In the FAA arena, the U.S is literally a disaster & getting worse. Yet you can't find anybody in the government who cares, except to increase revenue.
As to 'ditch - no-ditch;' I suspect the commander had damn good reasons for the decision. Among other things, I suspect he bought the time to destroy the most sensitive stuff.
We should wait for more detail on that question.