The Department of Defense announced today the death of five Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Bradley T. Arms, 20, of Charlottesville, Va.

Lance Cpl. Demarkus D. Brown, 22, of Martinsville, Va.

Lance Cpl. Michael A. Downey, 21, of Phoenix, Ariz.

Cpl. Joseph J. Heredia, 22, of Santa Maria, Calif.

Lance Cpl. Joseph T. Welke, 20, of Rapid City, S.D.

Arms and Brown died Nov. 19, as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Downey died Nov. 19 at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., from wounds received as a result of enemy action on Nov. 11 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Heredia died Nov. 20 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, from wounds received as a result of enemy action on Nov 10 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Welke died Nov. 20 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, from wounds received as a result of enemy action on Nov 19 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

Arms was assigned to the Marine Corps Reserve's 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, headquartered in Baltimore, Md. Brown was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Downey was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Heredia was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. Welke was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.