Camp Lejeune, N.C. — Two Marines assigned to the 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion at Camp Lejeune have died in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced Monday.

The men died Friday while supporting combat operations in Farah province. They were identified as Staff Sgt. Gregory T. Copes, 36, of Lynch Station, Va., and Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer 1st Class Darrel L. Enos, 36, of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Defense officials did not release details of how the servicemen died and said the incident remains under investigation.

A release from the U.S. Marine Corps said Enos was a 16-year veteran of the Navy who joined the Marine Corps Special Operations Command in 2007.

Enos deployed in support of both Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, officials said. His decorations included the Purple Heart, Air Medal with two Strike Flights, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, three Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medals, Army Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon and four Navy Good Conduct Medals.

Copes was a nine-year veteran of the corps who first served as a machine gunner assigned to Small Craft Company at Camp Lejeune. Copes later became a maritime training instructor and served on training missions in Mauritania, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Copes deployed in support of both Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. His decorations include the Purple Heart, a Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat V, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal, a Combat Action Ribbon and two Good Conduct Medals.