Navy Investigating After Death of Sailor in Africa

FacebookTwitterPinterestEmailEmailEmailShare
A building on Camp Lemonnier. (Wikimedia Commons/Kairosguy)
A building on Camp Lemonnier. (Wikimedia Commons/Kairosguy)

A sailor deployed to Eastern Africa has died in a "non-combat related incident," the Pentagon announced Tuesday.

Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew I. Holzemer, a Tennessee native, died June 17 at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, officials said in a release.

Holzemer was a hospital corpsman and he had been assigned to Naval Branch Health Clinic Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, Navy spokesman Lt. Christina Sears told Military.com.

Officials have not released any details about his death.

Holzemer had been deployed in support of Special Operations Command Forward-East Africa, officials said.

Camp Lemonnier, the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa, is home to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, among other units.

Holzemer's death is under investigation, officials said.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.

Story Continues