The following are events related to the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT) that took place on this day.

2002

• Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld visited Camp X-Ray and members of Joint Task Force –160 to ease criticism from European allies and human rights groups over treatment and legal status of detainees. He stated that the detainees were considered to be unlawful combatants who were terrorists rather than members of a uniformed army; hence they would not be deemed POW’s according to the Geneva Convention of 1949.
• 8 al-Qaeda terrorists barricaded themselves inside Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan, following a firefight with the terrorists Afghan soldiers, advised by a US Army Special Forces ODA, with the alleged involvement of JTF2, killing 6 and capturing 2.

2004

• Start of Operation Final Cut in Iraq
• Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Michael W. Hagee addressed the House Armed Services Committee and stressed to the congressmen that the Marine Corps was heavily committed to the war on terror. He went on to note the various locations the Corps had deployed to and praised the Marine participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

2005

• Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, returned to Camp Lejeune from a seven-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion participated in the bloody battle to regain control of Fallujah from insurgents in November 2004.

2007

• Start of Battle of Najaf (2007) in Iraq

Casualties on January 28:

• CASTELLANO, STEPHEN ANTHONY – January 28, 2005
• EVANS, MICHAEL SCOTT II – January 28, 2005
• FARRAR, ANDREW KEVIN JR – January 28, 2005
• RAMSEY, CHRISTOPHER JAMES – January 28, 2005
• REED, JONATHAN RAY – January 28, 2005
• RODRIGUEZ, JOSEPH EDWARD – January 28, 2005
• RYMER, LYLE WYMAN II – January 28, 2005
• ZAUN, MICKEY EDWARD – January 28, 2005
• BARBOSA, FELIPE CARVALHO – January 28, 2006
• HERRERA, DAVID LEE – January 28, 2006
• SCHOFF, BRIAN JAMES – January 28, 2006
• CHAO, CORNELL CLINTON – January 28, 2007
• RESH, MARK THOMAS – January 28, 2007
• STEWART, CARLA JANE – January 28, 2007
• CRAIG, JAMES EDWARD – January 28, 2008
• JEFFRIES, GARY WAYNE – January 28, 2008
• MARSHALL, EVAN ANDREW – January 28, 2008
• MEYER, BRANDON ABBOTT – January 28, 2008
• YOUNG, JOSHUA ANTHONY RICHARD – January 28, 2008
• CHRISTIAN, RUSTY HUNTER – January 28, 2010
• BARNETT, SCOTT GARLAND – January 28, 2010
• VENETZ, ANTHONY JR – January 28, 2011
• STIFTER, JOSEPH FRANCIS – January 28, 2016