The National Thanksgiving Turkey Corn stands by as President Donald Trump speaks during the 73rd annual presentation and pardoning in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, November 24, 2020. In the Rose Garden, Trump pardoned the 42-pound turkey named Corn as part of an annual presidential ritual, the sparing of a turkey from American dinner tables on the Thanksgiving holiday. (Photo by Hannah McKay/Reuters)

A child watches as an adult poses for a photograph while holding a Thompson AR-15 rifle, which is inscribed with the likeness of former US President Donald Trump at the Tommy Gun Warehouse during the annual Rod of Iron Freedom Festival in Greeley, Pennsylvania, 07 October 2023. The festival is one of the the largest open carry festivals celebrating the 2nd Amendment in North America. (Photo by Will Oliver/EPA)

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.

“The Last Pollen Spore Preparing to Leave a Ladybug Trying to Hold On, Because It Didn't Want to Be Alone”. Photo by Hiep Nguyen Hoang (Hanoi, Vietnam). Photographed in Hanoi, Vietnam, April 2012.

Police react to a suspicious vehicle near La Carillon restaurant following a series of deadly attacks in Paris, November 15, 2015. Thousands of French troops deployed around Paris on Sunday and tourist sites stood shuttered in one of the most visited cities on Earth while investigators questioned the relatives of a suspected suicide bomber involved in the country's deadliest violence since World War II. (Photo by Pascal Rossignol/Reuters)

Chantel Sydnor participates in the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, August 4, 2015. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the rally expected to draw hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world for events throughout the week-long festival, according to organizers. (Photo by Kristina Barker/Reuters)

People look at huge waves crashing on the San Esteban de Pravia seafront, northern Spanish region of Asturias February 8, 2016. (Photo by Eloy Alonso/Reuters)

An adult black-rumped flameback woodpecker is pestered by a pair of hungry chicks in Rajarhat, India in the second decade of May 2024. (Photo by Kalyan Acharya/Solent News)