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.

Labrador puppies “Hoey” (L) and “Hatton”, named in honor of September 11, 2001 attack victims Patrick Hoey and Lenny Hatton who died in the World Trade Center, are pictured on the grounds of the Pentagon near Washington, June 28, 2011. (Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters)

President Woodrow Wilson speaks on telephone. Woodrow Wilson was the 28th U.S. President serving from 1913 – 1921. (Photo by Corbis)

A labourer rides a donkey cart through a flooded street after heavy monsoon rains in Lahore on August 20, 2020. (Photo by Arif Ali/AFP Photo)

Scotland fans climbed on English playwright William Shakespeare's statue in Leicester Square prior to the Euro 2020 soccer championship group D match between England and Scotland, in London, Friday, June 18, 2021. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

Midfielder Lindsey Horan (9) of Team United States and midfielder Kosovare Asllani (9) of Team Sweden go up for a header during the first round of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Stadium on Wednesday, July 21. 2021. Sweden defeated the United States of America 3-0. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)

People travel in a taxi carrying sheep on a luggage carrier and in the car boot in Kandahar October 30, 2021. (Photo by Bulent Kilic/AFP Photo)

South Korean emergency services personnel wearing protective clothing participate in an anti-terror and anti-chemical terror drill on the sidelines of the joint South Korea-US Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) military exercise, at a shopping mall in Seoul on August 23, 2022. (Photo by Anthony Wallace/AFP Photo)