A ROYAL Fleet Auxiliary officer, from Halesowen, has been sent to Sierra Leone as part of the UK military operation to help combat the spread of Ebola.

Third Officer Rowan Wagstaff-Weston is on aviation support ship RFA Argus due to arrive this week in the infection-hit African country with teams of medics, engineers and specialists.

The 29-year-old is an officer on the bridge where he works on a rotating four-hour shift steering the 28,000 tonne ship.

He said: “I joined the ship in September expecting to undertake exercises off the UK coast but then the plan changed and we were redeployed to Sierra Leone.

“ It’s been a busy time for the ship and working on the bridge in particular as we have a lot more flying taking place than usual.

“My family was a little surprised when they heard about the change of plan, but as my father, stepmother, and sister all work in medical fields so they have a greater understanding of why we are going to Sierra Leone.”

His biology teacher wife Amy, used to lecture in infectious diseases at Halesowen College so she too is well aware of the need for the operation.

Mr Wagstaff-Weston joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary – the frontline logistics support fleet of the Royal Navy – in 2009 after serving in the University of Manchester Royal Navy Unit.

He said he is confident the men and women of RFA Argus are more than prepared for what lies ahead in Sierra Leone.

“We’ve had numerous briefings and a lot of training on Ebola and the conditions in Sierra Leone,” he said, adding: “Argus is a very capable ship with a lot of experience personnel onboard who, I am sure, will add real value to the UK effort in the country.”

The UK military deployment to Sierra Leone is part of a wider humanitarian aid programme led by the Department for International Development and involving Save the Children and the Sierra Leonean government and military.