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.

Steven Tyler of the musical group Aerosmith, perform at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, January 26, 2020, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

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A fado singer smokes a cigarrette outside a fado house at the Alfama neighborhood in Lisbon on May 8, 2019. From fado sounds to Cape Verde mornas or bossa nova: the Lisbon nights, where musicians from all over the world meet, have largely inspired Madonna's new album, who has been in the Portuguese capital since 2017. (Photo by Patrícia de Melo Moreira/AFP Photo)

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Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki pictured as Princess Diana wearing her “Revenge Dress” at Vanity Fair's annual fundraising gala for the Serpentine Gallery while filming hit Netflix TV series “The Crown” in London, United Kingdom on November 1, 2021. The dress, created by Greek fashion designer Christina Stambolian, is one of the most famous dresses the late Princess wore. The form fitting, off-the-shoulder chiffon cocktail dress was worn in June 1994. The same night Diana wore the dress to the Serpentine party, her estranged husband, Prince Charles, confessed on national television that he had been unfaithful to her. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)