Navy Petty Officer 1st Class James L. Smith, 38, died Dec. 11, in Landstuhl, Germany, from a non-combat related incident, according to the Department of Defense.
Smith, of Huffman, Texas, was assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 28, Shreveport, La.
The Navy Times reports Smith's unit was deployed to Afghanistan in September after three months of training at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, Calif.
Navy Expeditionary Combat Command spokesman Daryl Smith told Navy Times that Smith died of "natural causes" at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. No other specifics as to manner of death were given.