It is also not -that- difficult to secure a gate pass, but I would definitely suggest showing up a few hours ahead of time because, as you can imagine, anything outside the norm, like a gate pass, is going to take a while.
But, like I said, not that difficult to get. When military units return home from Iraq/Afghanistan they give the families gate passes so that there is a large homecoming reception at the gate when they get off their flights, so the airport personnel should be fairly experienced with everything they'll need to do for you.