Taiwanese-US artist Chin Chih Yang poses for a photograph with 30,000 aluminum cans after his performance called “Kill Me or Change” in Taipei, Taiwan, 23 April 2016. “Kill Me or Change!” is a performance piece that aims to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling and, encourage people to recycle to conserve resources. (Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA)

Two guards perform an execution in China, one holding the gun, the other holding a mask over the victim's face. (Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images). Circa 1925

A decorated elephant march at the Navam Perahera, a Buddhist pageant of elephants, dancers and drummers, in Colombo February 3, 2015. Over 50 elephants participated in the street parade for Gangaramaya temple's annual Perahera festival, along with a nightly procession of traditional dancers, fire twirlers and traditional musicians. (Photo by Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters)

Veterans of the Bangladesh war of liberation march past during the celebration of the country’s 45th Victory Day at the national parade ground in Dhaka December 16, 2015. (Photo by Ashikur Rahman/Reuters)

People watch the Macy's Fourth of July fireworks at the Edge at Hudson Yards on Thursday, July 4, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)

A man dresses as a plague doctor at the Bannockburn Live event on June 28, 2014 in Stirling, Scotland. The 700th anniversary of the historic battle that saw the outnumbered Scots conquer the English led by Edward II in the First War of Scottish Independence. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

In this January 31, 2014 file photo released by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), shows residents of the besieged Palestinian camp of Yarmouk, queuing to receive food supplies, in Damascus, Syria. That year, the U.N. was able to deliver food to about five percent of people in besieged areas including Yarmouk, while today estimates show the organization is reaching less than one percent. (Photo by UNRWA via AP Photo)

Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.