SSGT, to be buried at Arlington. The Right Thing To Do? I Think So.

After I read this, I got a little choked up. It's a shame to have to fight your way into Arlington National Cemetery. But, now, that has changed. I want to get opinions on this topic. Should Army Secretary John McHugh, have changed his mind? Do you think that SSG Florich's father, Stephen, a former Army Major and Green Beret had some pull, or called in any favors ? Would this have happened if the father had no prior service?

The gist of the controversy, such as it is, revolves around the fact that SSG Florich was on training with the National Guard, not the regular army, and it wasn't part of a train up for deployment. Had he been on Federal Orders, and the exact same thing happened, he would be eligible for Arlington Internment, but because he was on state orders, he is not.
It's hard for me to see how the orders really make that much of a difference, and even more hard to reconcile that basically everyone else on the bird can be buried there, and yet he can not. His father appeared on FoxNews to discuss it:
Well, now Secretary of the Army McHugh has approved the exception:

The rare exception announced by Army The gist of the controversy, such as it is, revolves around the fact that SSG Florich was on training with the National Guard, not the regular army, and it wasn't part of a train up for deployment. Had he been on Federal Orders, and the exact same thing happened, he would be eligible for Arlington Internment, but because he was on state orders, he is not.
It's hard for me to see how the orders really make that much of a difference, and even more hard to reconcile that basically everyone else on the bird can be buried there, and yet he can not. His father appeared on FoxNews to discuss it:
Well, now Secretary of the Army McHugh has approved the exception:

The rare exception announced by Army Secretary John McHugh means Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich, 26, who was among four guardsmen and seven Marines killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed March 10 off of Pensacola, Fla., will rest for eternity in the elite military graveyard. The military had previously said that Florich was not eligible for the distinction because he was not considered to have been on active duty when he died. But Friday's reversal brought joy and pride to Florich's family, including his father, Stephen, a former Army major and Green Beret. John McHugh means Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich, 26, who was among four guardsmen and seven Marines killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed March 10 off of Pensacola, Fla., will rest for eternity in the elite military graveyard. The military had previously said that Florich was not eligible for the distinction because he was not considered to have been on active duty when he died. But Friday's reversal brought joy and pride to Florich's family, including his father, Stephen, a former Army major and Green Beret.