By Andrew Woodger BBC Radio Suffolk

Sergeant Karl Scott in a protective suit at Honington

In rural Suffolk, RAF Honington, just north of Bury St Edmunds, could have the task of providing ground defence for airfields in the Middle East.

The last plane based at Honington left in the early 1990s and the base commander Group Captain Graham Stacey said their role would be different to the one they played a decade ago in the Gulf War.

"There were Tornadoes flying out of here in 1991, but our role is to defend any airfields.

"It's the RAF Regiment's job to defend the bases with infantry support and rapier missile systems.

"We're trained and ready to go and that's what I tell my service people.

Protective suits

"There are about 1,800 staff under my control here in Honington and the same number again doing the same job at nine other RAF bases across Britain from Lossiemouth in Scotland to St Mawgan in Cornwall."

The airbase is also home to the Survive To Operate Centre, which trains servicemen and woman on how to deal with nuclear, chemical and biological attacks.

With children we tell them that their mummy or daddy may be going away for a while, but we never tell them when they'll be coming back because if that date passes it makes it harder Stephanie Cloninger, RAF Mildenhall

Flight Lieutenent Wayne Howell said the modern protective suit looked similar to normal combat greens.

"It's not a Michelin-man suit by any means," he said.

"The jacket and trousers are made of normal cloth, but have a gauze and charcoal lining which is light and allows the wearer to perform all their normal duties.

"The gloves and slip-over boots are rubber and seal over the cloth.

"In the field an alarm would give the wearer nine seconds to get the respirator/gas mask on."

More secretive

For the United States Air Force, the three F-15 fighter squadrons at RAF Lakenheath would almost certainly be called into action in any war.

RAF Mildenhall's also home to more secretive elements of the US Air Force.

Captain Stacey said the base will play new role

The 352nd Special Operations Group carries out specialist missions, sometimes alongside groups such as the US Navy Seals and the British SAS.

The Family Support Centre at RAF Mildenhall is already gearing up for the possibility of another conflict against Iraq.

Stephanie Cloninger, of the centre, said they also offer counselling if a partner finds it difficult to cope when a spouse goes to war.

'Sorted things'

"With children we tell them that their mummy or daddy may be going away for a while.

"But we never tell them when they'll be coming back because if that date passes it makes it harder," she said.

"For wives, we make sure they've sorted things out - like banking or wills.

"If the wives, or husbands, are prepared it leaves their service partner to concentrate on the job in hand.

"In the event of conflict, counselling is available for partners who are struggling to cope with the idea that they might not see their spouse again."