A combat zone is not a leadership laboratory. This isn't ROTC Field Training here. An O-6 is supposed to have this crap figured out by now. Canceling lines which reduces support for the folks on the ground, thereby putting American lives at risk, to deal with queep is a complete foul.
You're correct that commanders make mistakes. That doesn't make it right, nor does it need to be explained away as a 'learning opportunity'. As Rainman says, "This ain't no puss game".