So it was Gates and not McChrystal who had the authority to provide 60,000 more troops to Afghanistan if they wanted, without a presidential directive?
This isn't that complicated. You're either being intentionally argumentative, or obtuse. Either way, I'm not amused.
Gates is the SecDef. He has, by virtue of Senate confirmation and statutory law, the authority to issue directives to his CCDRs. The CCDR's, by virtue of Senate confirmation and statutory law, have the authority to order troops into and out of their theater of command, so long as they have the requisite number of troops available to them in their command. It's that simple.
If I am an officer, and you are my subordinate, my orders to you enjoy the full force of law (provided I have statutory or administrative authority to issue such orders, and they are not facially criminal orders nor outside the scope of service), irrespective of my superior's infirmity to hold his office or command.
Whatever Barack Obama's alleged constitutional infirmity may or may not be to hold his office, that infirmity has NOTHING to do with LTC Lakin's deployment order. Legally speaking, it could not be any simpler which is all the more reason to believe that Lakin's civilian defense counsel is incompetent.