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

2003

• The Marines of the 26th MEU returned to Camp Lejeune from an eight-month deployment which included combat operations on the ground near Mosul in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and participation in the peacekeeping efforts in the West African nation of Liberia. The return of the 26th MEU, however, left the European and West African areas without a Marine presence for the second time in as many years. The lapse in coverage was a necessary void designed to get East Coast MEU deployments back on track after Operation Iraqi Freedom.

2004

• Operation Crayon in Iraq

2006

• Operation Helping Hand in Iraq

2011

• President Obama announces all troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the 2011 effectively ending the war in Iraq.

Casualties on October 21:

• BUECHE, PAUL JOSEPH – October 21, 2003
• SAMEK, JESSE MONROE – October 21, 2004
• BUTLER, KENNETH JAMES – October 21, 2005
• COCKERHAM, BENNY GRAY III – October 21, 2005
• DAVEY, SEAMUS MACLEAN – October 21, 2005
• SWISHER, TYLER BOBBITT – October 21, 2005
• THOMPSON, CHRISTOPHER WORTH – October 21, 2005
• COLLINSWORTH, CLIFFORD RAYMOND – October 21, 2006
• ELROD, NATHAN ROSS – October 21, 2006
• HERZBERG, ERIC WILLIAM – October 21, 2006
• KNIER, TONY LEE – October 21, 2006
• MANOUKIAN, NICHOLAS JAN – October 21, 2006
• WATKINS, JOSHUA CHARLES – October 21, 2006
• COUMAS, KYLE ANDREW – October 21, 2009
• GONZALEZ-O’MALLEY, ARACELY – October 21, 2010
• MCANINCH, KENNETH KEITH – October 21, 2010
• SHAPIRO, STEVEN FRANCIS – October 21, 2011