An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Feb. 21, 2012

White House to honor Iraq War veterans, families

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will honor Iraq War veterans and their families - including National Guard members - at the White House later this month, White House officials announced in a statement Feb 6.

The president and first lady will host a dinner Feb. 29 to honor troops who served in operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn and their families.

"This dinner - an expression of the nation's gratitude for the achievements and enormous sacrifices of the brave Americans who served in the Iraq War and of the families who supported them - will include men and women in uniform from all ranks, services, states and backgrounds, representative of the many thousands of Americans who served in Iraq," the statement said.

Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, welcomed the final group of U.S. troops home from Iraq on Dec. 20, 2011.

Dempsey praised troops and their families for their service and sacrifice while serving in two operations during the Iraq War.

"We will be honored to be a part of 'A Nation's Gratitude' hosted by President and Mrs. Obama to recognize the significant contributions of the U.S. military and military families to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn," the chairman said in a Facebook post.

"These heroes and those they represent have sacrificed to defend our nation and provide the Iraqi people an opportunity for a peaceful and secure future," he said. "I'm proud of their courage and appreciate this appropriate recognition of their service."

The White House has been working with military and civilian leaders across the Defense Department on this tribute, the statement said, and will release more details regarding the dinner as they become available.

 

 

Related Articles
Bienvenue Dedegnon Milohin, Mono prefet, provides welcoming remarks to start the Lignite Coast Tabletop Exercise, Grand Popo, Benin, May 12, 2025. The North Dakota National Guard and Benin are state partners in the State Partnership Program and have continuously conducted knowledge exchanges like this emergency management exercise for more than 10 years.
North Dakota Guard Participates in Lignite Coast Tabletop Exercise
By Nathan Rivard, | June 2, 2025
GRAND-POPO, Benin – A five-person team from North Dakota, including three members of the North Dakota National Guard and two planning specialists from the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, completed a five-day...

Airmen from the 139th Security Forces Squadron, Missouri Air National Guard, conduct air base defense operations at Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range near Salina, Kansas, on May 18, 2025. More than 160 Airmen from five ANG units participated in Exercise Tinman 25, a large-scale readiness exercise designed to sharpen air base defense skills through realistic, 24-hour operations.
Air National Guard Defenders Tested in Exercise Tinman 25
By Michael Crane, | June 2, 2025
SMOKY HILL AIR NATIONAL GUARD RANGE, Kansas - A squad of security forces defenders moved carefully through the rugged terrain, scanning their surroundings as they advanced on a suspected threat. Embedded with them were two...

An HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter from Golf Co., 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion conducts a training mission May 31, 2023. The Black Hawk departed Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to complete aircrew qualification tasks medevac and hoist operations as well as basic flight maneuvers near Colony Glacier.
Alaska National Guardsmen Save Nine During Start of Rescue Season
By Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount, | June 2, 2025
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska– Alaska Air and Army National Guard units responded to five requests for assistance May 24-28, primarily in support of the Alaska State Troopers and local hospitals.The Alaska Army...