Date: 202108
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZJX.ARTCC, FL
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Military
Operator: Military
Flight plan: VFR
Mission: Tactical
Flight phase: Other Holding Pattern
Airspace: Class E ZJX
ATC / advisory: Center ZJX
Second aircraft: Military
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Enroute
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Workload; Distraction
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; No Specific Anomaly Occurred Unwanted Situation
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Contributing factors: Airspace Structure; Company Policy; Procedure
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: Eglin Missions Coordinator had called the day before to try to approve Aircraft X and Aircraft Y; IFR at at 14;000 feet and 15;000 feet; to do holding north of R2915; just to the west of CEW; for a few hours. They were denied; correctly; by the Supervisor.  That is right in the way of all departures and arrivals into PNS Approach and VPS Approach; as well as PNS N MOA (Military Operating Area); and some departures/arrivals into PAM Approach.  You will be hard pressed to find a worse spot in the entire US airspace to have two aircraft hold for hours; during the middle of the day. They were planning on doing some sort of military targeting or work from that position south into R2915; repeatedly.After being denied on one day they launched anyway on the next day; and claimed to be VFR; at two IFR altitudes.  When I took over the sector they had already been approved as pointouts by the previous controller; who had also voiced objections to the Supervisor; but VPS Approach or missions decided to launch them anyway; in spite of being denied the previous day. I worked for probably an hour and a half with Aircraft X and Aircraft Y in the way; moving perhaps three dozen civilian and military aircraft around these two 'VFR' aircraft at IFR altitudes. There was no loss of separation; but it greatly increased overall complexity and workload; with little communication or teamwork from VPS Missions.  As far as I understand; VPS approach controllers were not exactly happy with these aircraft in the way either; nor was PNS Approach.  If there had been more weather in the way; this could truly have been a colossal headache and possibly led to multiple separation errors.Note that the controller relieving me eventually; did not want to take the sector; and invoked Article 65 on the recorded briefing; as well as informing management that he was uncomfortable with the situation. At the time; PNS N MOA was active; just north of the Aircraft X and Aircraft Y holding area; as well as Rose Hill [MOA]; along with the standard high level of inbound/outbound traffic; all directed at CEW; during this time of day.  I cannot stress enough how poor of a spot that is to have aircraft holding; especially at those altitudes.Never allow this again.  VFR or IFR; the FAA cannot allow the military to use up hundreds of square miles of airspace; and then take up even more airspace when they are unable to stay inside there already vast released airspace.  They are literally putting civilian traffic in danger.  If they must run some sort of targeting mission at R2915; come in from the south. Do not go north out of R2915. Missions coordinators at ZJX must deny these sort of insane requests by default; not approve them and then have the area supervisor try to be the voice of reason at the last second; let alone the controller at the sector. Readers unfamiliar with Crestview sector (R10) will not realize how crowded this airspace gets regularly; let alone with added aircraft holding right in the center; that are not in communication with ZJX; and have a poorly defined holding track/mission.




Synopsis: A Center Controller reported two VFR military aircraft from Eglin AFB entered a holding pattern at non VFR altitudes (14;000 and 15;000 feet) adjacent to R2915 and in conflict with the major traffic flows through the sectors. The previous day the military's request for these aircraft to perform this operation on IFR flight plans had been denied.