Who said the commands were unlawful?
The armchair lawyers of OSA, that's who! I know, I know ... Poor guys ... It's just a shame. Except for dieselwrench. I feel his pain. Only comfort I can give him is if he sticks to his guns (figuratively speaking) and his rights were violated, he should make sure the department pays his legal fees and expenses on top of whatever settlement he winds up with. (I'd say his attorney ought to make sure of that, but just in case ... Because half the lawyers out there graduated in the bottom half of their class ... And even the good ones can overlook stuff, and the bad ones just don't care.)