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.

People eat sushi off the body of a model at an opening event of a bar in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, August 22, 2015. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

Pedestrians look at “doll” model Lulu Hashimoto standing on the street during a photo opportunity for Reuters in Tokyo, Japan August 23, 2017. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

This August 28, 2017 photo shows eight-year-old Indian girl Bharti performing a balancing act on a rope during a street show in Batala, India. Travelling Indian performers, who earn a meagre income from putting on shows on the streets, often scout areas to gather a large street audience who then give money on a collection plate at the end of the show. (Photo by Narinder Nanu/AFP Photo)

Queen Ashi Jetsun Pema, 21, walks out after the marriage ceremony is completed on October 13, 2011 in Punakha, Bhutan. The Dzong is the same venue that hosted the King's historic coronation ceremony in 2008. The Oxford-educated king is popular in the country and the ceremony will be followed by celebration in the capital and countryside. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Pinky Ghelani and Suzzy Wokabi watch a TV broadcast of Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding at the Windsor golf and country club in Nairobi, Kenya May 19, 2018. (Photo by Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)

A woman looks out of the window of a house as saris, traditional clothing worn by women, are hanged out to dry in Lalitpur, Nepal on April 17, 2019. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

Jeepney passengers are seated in between plastic barriers, wearing face masks and face shields mandatory in public transportation, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, August 19, 2020. (Photo by Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)