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.

A man carries his daughter, dressed as Kumari, on a scooter, as they arrive to attend rituals to celebrate the Navratri Festival, on a road outside the Adyapeath Temple, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India on March 25, 2018. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

A member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) pose for a picture at a camp in the Colombian mountains on February 2005. (Photo by Frank Piasecki Poulsen)

Model Irina Shayk shields herself from rain as she leaves the grand opening of Falconeri in SoHo of New York on October 16, 2019. (Photo by Backgrid USA)

A policeman chases away a farmer during a protest against the newly passed farm bills at Singhu border near Delhi, India, November 27, 2020. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

BTS images of “Selling Sunset” star Christine Quinn during a risque inspired photo shoot with photographer Sonny Matson at the famous Chateau Rose villa in Bel Air, Los Angeles on December 2, 2020. (Photo by The Mega Agency)

Children carry firewood on their heads and walk homewards on the outskirts of Rae Bareli, India, Thursday, December 17, 2020. (Photo by Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo)

A Lowrider rides on three-wheels on Sunset Blvd., in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles late Sunday afternoon July 18, 2021. (Photo by Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo)