WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will host a dinner on Feb. 29 honoring Iraq war veterans, the fallen and their families, the White House announced Monday.

"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," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a written statement.

A senior Defense Department official, who declined to be identified ahead of the formal announcement, said earlier Monday that some 200 military personnel of all ranks would be invited, but the focus would be on enlisted personnel who served in Iraq.

Carney said the White House will release more details as they become available.

The announcement comes as the veteran's advocacy group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America has been pressing for a ticker tape parade to honor veterans of the Iraq war.

The senior Defense Department official said top U.S. military officers are opposing holding a parade for the Iraq war "while there are still troops in harm's way" fighting in Afghanistan.

"A New York City-style ticker tape parade has come to represent a major national tribute," the official said.

Some veterans say there is no reason to wait.

"After eight years of war there that saw over 4,400 American troops killed and over 32,000 wounded in action physically, the Iraq War finally ended on December 31, 2011. Yet, only St. Louis has held a "Welcome Home Our Heroes" parade to date -- and solely because two guys launched a Facebook page and motivated a grass-roots group of citizens," IAVA founder Paul Rieckhoff said in a statement.

The only formal ceremonies to honor the end of the war in Iraq have been a small flag ceremony in Baghdad on December 15, and another small ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base a few days later.