Annika Schröder at her veteran farm — Jan Kraus's photograph

Annika Schröder’s story is an unusual one. She served in the German military for almost 20 years, joining when she was young, adventurous and needed to earn money. She was allowed to jump out of an aeroplane and drive a tank, but after a deployment to Afghanistan her unit was sent on a rescue mission now known as the Good Friday Battle, the biggest German military battle since the second world war.

She recovered two dead soldiers and one who was heavily wounded, then developed severe post-traumatic stress disorder; it took the Bundeswehr over a decade to fully recognise that and she was eventually discharged as unfit to do her job. She now receives a full army pension and has started a veteran farm outside Leipzig, where she keeps pigs, geese and two dogs.

The image was taken in her kitchen. Living self-sufficiently helps with her PTSD, and while the dog in the picture isn’t an official support dog, it helps her feel calm.

Germany, Leipzig

annika schröder, bundeswehr, afghanistan, ptsd, veteran farm, leipzig, army pension, support dog, german military, rescue mission