Pilgrims dressed in traditional Bavarian clothes attend the traditional Georgi horse riding procession on Easter Monday in heavy snowfall, in the southern Bavarian town of Traunstein April 6, 2015. Since the early 16th century, farmers have taken part in the pilgrimage to bless their horses. This tradition, the “Georgiritt”, goes back to the legend of Saint George, the horsemen's patron saint. (Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters)

A trader speaks on the phone at his desk at the Frankfurt stock exchange, Germany, in this June 29, 2015 file photo. Federal Reserve policymakers are widely seen raising interest rates for the first time in almost a decade at their next meeting this week. (Photo by Ralph Orlowski/Reuters)

First time gun owner, Jessie Palmieri holds a target she shot with a H&K VP9 9mm gun at the Ringmasters of Utah gun range, in Springville, Utah on December 18, 2015. (Photo by George Frey/Reuters)

Revellers ride during the 54th annual brass band festival in the Serbian village of Guca August 7, 2014. Every year Guca is swamped by thousands of people taking part in the celebration of brass band music. (Photo by Marko Djurica/Reuters)

An illustration showing scarecrows pulling a firewood cart beside a road is on display at Kakashi no Sato, or the Scarecrow's Hometown on September 10, 2014 in Himeji, Japan. In this district of Yasutomi in Himeji city, over 100 of scarecrows stand in farmlands and abandoned houses to illustrate the good old Japanese countryside and attract visitors. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)

Kazakh troops march during a parade of the armed forces to mark the Defender of the Fatherland Day in Astana, May 7, 2014. (Photo by Mukhtar Kholdorbekov/Reuters)

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.

Desiree Urban is painted at Columbus Circle as body-painting artists gathered to decorate nude models as part of an event featuring artist Andy Golub, Saturday, July 26, 2014, in New York. Golub says New York was the only city in the country that would allow his inaugural Bodypainting Day. (Photo by John Minchillo/AP Photo)