The 16 Air Assault Brigade have flown out to Kuwait

The Right Reverend John Perry, Anglican Bishop of Chelmsford, and the Right Reverend Thomas McMahon, Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood, will tour the Army garrison in Colchester, Essex.

The garrison, home of 16 Air Assault Brigade which will be at the forefront of any British action in Iraq, houses 4,000 military personnel, 2,500 of whom are now in Kuwait.

The Brigade is also partly based at Wattisham Airfield in Suffolk.

Right Reverend Perry said: "Great uncertainty faces the men and women of our armed services and their families at this difficult time.

Pay tribute to dedication

"Whilst we all pray that a war may be avoided, we want to pay tribute to the dedication and commitment of our servicemen and women and their families."

Britain is committing 42,000 military personnel to the Middle East region.

The 16 Air Assault Brigade includes two battalions of the Parachute Regiment, plus battalions and units from the Royal Irish Regiment, the Royal Horse Artillery, the Household Cavalry Regiment and the Engineer Regiment.

Its equipment includes 105mm light guns plus Lynx and Gazelle helicopters, according to a British ministry of defence website on Operation Telic, the codename for the British deployment for possible Iraq action.