It’s the president that orders the troops to be deployed, he decided how many would go and told Gates to make it happen.
Your whole premise seems to be that somehow Gates has more authority and responsibility than Obama does for the sole purpose of removing Obama from Lakin’s chain of command.
As anyone that has ever served will tell you at any command in the Armed Forces the chain of command is always on display from the president on down to the unit commander. Trying to pretend otherwise is a fool’s gambit.
I made no attempt to remove Obama from the chain of command and I certainly didn’t suggest that the SECDEF has more authority than the POTUS. That would be foolish.
Do you know who defines the chain of command for combat operations? Congress.
You said earlier that Congress grants commissions and that the President doesn’t have that authority. I replied that the President must sign (i.e. approve) the commissions granted by Congress.
Similar situation here. Congress granted authority directly to the SECDEF to deploy our forces but the President must approve the SECDEF’s plans.
Congress granted authority in Title 10 for many different types of things to various members of the military according to rank/rate. Those members have duties and responsibilities under the law that didn’t come from an order from the President. They carry on the day-to-day business of the military with the authority granted to them by Congress.
Certainly as CIC, the President can issue specific orders to his subordinates and they have a duty to obey his lawful orders. But there are orders issued that the President literally has nothing to do with because Congress granted specific authority for some things to other members of the military. Can the President intervene and change those orders? Certainly, he’s the CIC. But do those vested with authority need his permission? It depends on whether or not Congress said they do.