Why is this this guy considered a 'special case' because he is in the military?
The immigration rules for spouses from non-EU countries are perfectly clear. The couple obviously did not undertake the required research and get the paperwork together.. I fully agree that the rules are dreadfully onerous and can be quite stressful for the families.
I am British by birth, have been an expat for a number of years and have a South American wife. We have been married for 9 years, but it makes no difference. We all have to go through the same awful UK immigration rules. I expect no preferential treatment, and neither should he.