AFTER BEING SPLIT UP; FLT OF 2 F16'S NEAR THE RIC VOR BROKE FORMATION BEFORE BEING INSTRUCTED BY THE CTLR CAUSING A CONFLICT WITH A MIL C9.

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I WAS WORKING THE FINAL CTL POS AT THE RICHMOND TRACON; THAT IS NOW A PART OF THE JAMES RIVER SECTOR OF POTOMAC TRACON. I RECEIVED THE HDOF ON FLT SQUADRON #1; A FLT OF 2 F16 ACFT; ON AN APPROX NORTHERLY HDG. AT THIS TIME I WAS MODERATELY BUSY WHILE WE WERE IN A TRANSITION OF GOING FROM A N OP TO A S OP. THE FLT REQUESTED TO BE SPLIT INTO 2 SEPARATE FLTS; SO AS TO FLY INDIVIDUAL ILS APCHS TO RWY 16. I THEN ASKED THE FLT LEADER 'FLT SQUADRON #1; WHICH ACFT WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST;' AND HE RESPONDED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO IN ORDER. SO AS I HAD BEEN TRAINED; I GAVE FLT SQUADRON #2 A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD HIM TO SQUAWK STAND BY. I THEN TOLD THE FLT SQUADRON #1 FLT TO TURN TO A HDG OF 340 DEGS. AT THIS TIME APPARENTLY ONLY FLT SQUADRON #1 TOOK THE TURN WHILE THE SECOND IN THE FLT (FLT SQUADRON #2) STAYED ON HIS ORIGINAL HDG WITHOUT HAVING BEEN RADAR IDENTED. I THEN TOLD 'FLT SQUADRON #1 ONLY' TO TURN L HDG 270 DEGS AND FOR FLT SQUADRON #2 TO SQUAWK NORMAL WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING RADAR CONTACT WITH THE SEPARATE FLTS. THIS IS HOW I WAS TRAINED TO SPLIT A MIL FLT. HOWEVER; SINCE FLT SQUADRON #2 HAD BROKEN FORMATION WITH HIS FLT; HE WAS NOT WHERE I HAD EXPECTED HIM TO BE. ONCE I OBSERVED WHERE THE BEACON CODE WAS; FLT SQUADRON #2 HAD ALREADY PASSED WITHIN 1 MI AND 400 FT OF ACR X; A DC9. ACR X WAS AN ACFT I HAD TAKEN A HDOF FROM TAPPA SECTOR HDG APPROX 340 DEGS AT 4000 FT; BUT STILL NOT YET ON MY FREQ. FLT SQUADRON #2 SPLIT FROM HIS FLT LEADER PRIOR TO BEING INSTRUCTED. THE PROC I USED TO SPLIT THE FLT IS THE SAME ONE THAT IS COMMONLY USED AT THIS FACILITY AS WELL AS THE WAY I WAS TRAINED. AS OF JAN/THU/03; A MONTH AFTER THE INCIDENT; I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED BY MY SUPVRS TO CONTINUE TO SPLIT F16'S IN THE SAME MANNER EVEN THOUGH I HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH AN OPERROR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY SUPERIORS AT RICHMOND THAT I DID EVERYTHING PER THE 7110.65; HOWEVER; THE EASTERN REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS' CLASSIFICATION OF THIS INCIDENT AS AN OPERROR CONTRADICTS 7110.65 PROCS; RIC PROCS; AND MY TRAINING AS A CTLR. THIS MOST IMPORTANTLY CAUSES A SAFETY ISSUE NOW; BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN NO SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ON HOW TO CTL SUCH PRACTICES. AS OF NOW; WE ARE TOLD TO DO THINGS STATUS QUO.