Rest and Recuperation (R&R) leave is granted to soldiers during their operational tour so they can return home for a short period of time and relax, see family and friends and recharge themselves before returning to theatre to complete their tour. 

The length of time an individual can take is determined by the length of time they will be in theatre. Currently this is 14 days R&R for a six-month tour.

The start date for R&R can depend on the type of deployment but generally it must be taken after the fourth week and before the last four weeks of a tour.

R&R can only be taken at a home unit location, ie where the soldier's unit is based (UK, Germany or Nepal)).  

Wherever a soldier is based he will leave the location in plenty of time to travel back to one of the main airbases in-theatre.

From there he or she will travel by military aircraft back to the UK. Occasionally, a military flight will stop off en-route and passengers will change to a civilian-chartered airplane for the remainder of the journey.

Once in the UK,  they may be picked up by friends, receive a train ticket or, after a rest, be given a hire car to travel the final leg of the journey.