A Muslim dervish sings a traditional Sufi song near a rally for the Mawlid al-Nabi holiday, marking the birthday of Islam's prophet, Muhammad, in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, November 10, 2019. To mark the holiday, thousands take part in religious processions, ceremonies and distribute free meals to the poor. (Photo by K.M. Chaudary/AP Photo)

Racegoers try to shelter from the rain during day one of the Cazoo Derby Festival at Epsom Racecourse in Surrey, United Kingdom on Friday, June 4, 2021. (Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)

Hindu married women offer prayers and tie a thread around a banyan tree during the festival of Vat Purnima amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Mumbai, India, June 24, 2021. (Photo by Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters)

Dog puppy “Sandy” protects against the rain with an umbrella fixed on her leash during a stroll in Rust, southern Germany, on May 26, 2013. (Photo by Patrick Seeger/AFP Photo)

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 woman rides a donkey during a donkey race in Roum village, Jizeen countryside, southern Lebanon, August 9, 2015. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Reuters)

A prototype Rollkers transportation device is displayed during a press event at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for the 2015 International CES on January 4, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The product is not a skate; it balances for you and when you place it on the bottom of your shoe, it gives you the ability for faster transportation based on walking. The balance CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs from January 6-9 and is expected to feature 3,600 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)